The New Nation - Internet Edition

Last week I was watching a TV Talk-Show - Tritiomatra - at Channel i. The only guest speaker was Lt. Gen. (retd) Mir Shawkat Ali, a sector commmader and former minister, facing host Zillur Rahman. It was an hourlong talk covering a host of things - politics, economics, social agenda and others.

In teletalk Gen. Shawkat is always entertaining. It is full of bits and wits. He has also his own style of talking - the Dhakiya type - and sometimes very straight. However, I am not writing to promote Gen. Shawkat here because, I do not subscribe to all his political stands or views. Here, I would prefer to focus on one of his views only.

Commenting on the character of our nouveause-riches Gen. Shawkat made a good point. He said that our well-off people are more busy to demonstrate their new-found fortunes(wealth) inasmuch as they could whenever they get a chance. He cited the example of Pajero Jeeps (or other big luxury cars) used by those big-guys. They do not hesitate to use such expensive vehicles (consuming 1 litre gasolin per 3/4 km) as against using other good quality motor cars running 10-12 kms per litre of fuel. They do not consider that for their luxury drives the state has to substantially subsidise fuel costs from the state exchaquer which is funded from the poor tax payers' money. The big guys find pleasure in demonstrating their vanity. These riches run at the cost of the poor.

At one point Gen. Shawkat urged the richmen to be a bit humanised, kind to their own-self and be considerate to the felow human beings who are in desperate distressed conditions. In this connection Gen. Shawkat refered to the life style of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who always upheld the dignity of human beings above all and favoured humanity.

I think Gen. Shawkat is correct in his observations. I endorese him and similarly I also urge - please do not show arraogance, be polite and uphold humanity above all.

Abu Musa Miah

Lalbagh, Dhaka