5 years of Mukto-Mona

A Smile of Hope

Swapan Biswas

Published on May 24, 2006

 

 Mount Elizabeth Hospital Singapore, August 9, 2004 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr S S Halder in Singapore August, 2004. Photo taken by Swapan Biswas

Mr Halder was undergoing an intolerable agony. Quietly lying on the hospital bed, he was simply praying for the better. Far away from Singapore lies his beloved motherland, a land which is not less sick than that of him. A TV was given to him so that he could update himself with the world news. Nurses were on constant alert to discharge their utmost care. Mrs Halder and Pantha, one of their sons had made the hospital a home as they were spending all the day and night relentlessly. Yet something was amiss. I guessed, it might be the peace of mind and wellbeing, an unique state of mind that all unwell persons experience.

I was summoned to see him at the evening. After finishing my office I headed straight to the hospital. He greeted me with a smile. With all the needles pricked into his hands, elbow, belly and penetrated capillary tubes into the nose, it was not easy to respond with a smile. He pointed his finger to the TV display. 

�Why is this rally for?� He murmured.

�Today is Singapore National Day� I replied. �Thirty-nine years ago, Singapore was forcibly out from Malaysia. The then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra frantically decided to get Singapore out. Usually a nation cries for independence. As is the case of Bangladesh. But Singapore was unlike. An island with no natural resources, Singapore was granted freedom though she did not ask for it. A nation of ethnic Chinese majority, no army, not enough water and electricity, 10,000 unemployed, Singapore started its journey as a nation since 1965�.� 

 �Okay. I understand. Who are those people wearing white shirts and pants?�  

�They are ministers� I replied although I could not finish my previous �lecture� and probably I forgot that the Uncle was a bonafide parliamentarian. A brief �lecture� was appropriate and healthy for him because he was critically ill and unwell. 

�Ministers are quite meagre in number. The black old man is Prof Jayakumar � holding two full ministries such as Ministry of Law and Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  behind is Abdullah Tarmugi, Minister for Sports, Youth and Community Development, Shanmugarathnam, Balakrishnan, Sadashivan � they are all ministers � Looking at the face of others, hopefully you can recognise them � they are ethnic Chinese.� 

�Uncle! Are you impatient to listen my �lecture�?� I intervened. 

�No my dear ! Please continue� Uncle replied and asked. �What is the percentage of Chinese in Singapore?� 

�� The oldest man is Lee Kuan Yew, the architect of modern Singapore, the Prime Minister of a few terms, is now serving as Senior Minister. He established no schools or colleges after the name of his late father or mother. Even not a single street is named after his name.� 

Meanwhile Prime Minister arrived.  

�Roughly Chinese are 77%, Malay Muslims 14% and Indians 8%. Among Chinese � 

�Excuse me. Who is arriving now?� Uncle asked as he observed some special attention and silence among the waiting masses in the Padang. 

�This is President. President of Singapore. Mr S R Nathan. The ceremony of National Day is traditionally inaugurated by the President. He receives salutes of the marched past army, naval and air forces. Colourful displays by the children, musics, parades are waiting for the proud visitors. I must mention the pyrotechnical fireworks in the evening sky. I read in the local newspaper that Tamilian S R Nathan married Urmila, a woman of Bengali origin. Is n�t it interesting? � Singapore prosperity is largely credited to its meritocracy.� 

�Ah ! It�s painful ! I feel difficulty in breathing ! Anyway I hope that racial or communal discrimination would be eliminated in my country too. We have to struggle for our rights. No discrimination to any race, meticulous people will occupy the top positions ...� 

�Uncle ! You are politically correct. Political correctness and truth differs. A constitution that is not secular at all cannot guarantee of equal rights. Is there any possibility that Awami League, a major pro-independence party, would stand for a secular constitution that is unbiased of religions of any kind?� 

He smiled. A political veteran, an ardent fighter for democracy, a proponent and contributor of constitution amendment, an orator, and patron for education answered nothing but smiled. 

[He survived one and half months to witness a massacre in Dhaka on 21st August, constitutional unjust on minorities, his beloved family, political comrades and of course,  this beautiful world.]

Mr. Swapan Kanti Biswas, is the senior safety officer of National University of Singapore; the author of "Sadako ebong Hajar Sharosh"; member of Mukto-Mona advisory board.