The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) along with the Manusher Janna Foundation (MJF) is running a project on "Social Cohesion and Rights in Bangladesh." The project was initiated for helping improve the social environment after an incident of burning twelve members of a minority family alive at dead of night in the month of November 2003 in one of the southern districts of Bangladesh. Experiences gathered through the project were shared at a national seminar held in the city the other day.

The rights of the people of different origins and faiths have been enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh. The poor, the uneducated and the landless people in the country have so far failed to benefit fully from the provisions of the Constitution. They remain deprived of many rights. Rivalries between the richer section of the people and the poorer ones for possession and ownership of property have persisted for decades.

Conflicts are there even among the members of families on the ownership of land and other properties. Fighting with lethal weapons and killing of rivals are observed from time to time in different areas of the country. Some organised groups are sometimes found to occupy land and force out original owners who are relatively weak.

Those participating in the seminar emphasised the need for strengthening social cohesion to protect the rights of the minorities. Concerned quarters should adopt policies and programmes for upholding the rights and interests of the weak and poor section of the people. Roots of prevailing problems in the society have to be correctly identified and eliminated with administrative measures backed by social support.

Crimes should be dealt with as crimes and their perpetrators punished. There is no simple way of containing crimes other than this. The move to develop organisations at the village level to strengthen social cohesion as a means to prevent or resist the violation of rights of poor and weak people merits praise. Such initiatives should be supported and simulated elsewhere to ensure social peace and harmony instead of playing blame game of doing politics with the misery of the poor and the weak.