The Government has taken a very hard line against the Hefazat and is reining in one leader after another including the “Resort Maulana” who triggered the crisis. The Government is on the offensive and has many tools and weapons it can use against the ambitious Hefazatis. It is a madrassa based organization with members who are also politically aspirant and ambitious. Their strategy of violence and cowing down criticism using populist faith based position has been on the rise for a while. However, the length of the arms of the Government was exposed as one after another top leader was reined in.
Heafzot’s false understanding of its power was rooted in the soft stand of the Hasina Government in 2013 and the downplaying of the threat to the bloggers who were killed around that date. It was thought that the shorkar didn’t have the clout to match the power of the many who studied in the madrassas and also the rural middle class who promote religious groups.
No one has a problem with that culture in the ruling class but once that groups went into street violence and attack on police stations, the game changed this year. What the Islamists never realized was that the resources and institutional strength of the state is far greater than what the Islamists can ever manage. As long as they play by the rules, they will be tolerated, even promoted but once they clash, the game changes.
One will have to new make new configurations on the situation because in an odd way, the Modi centred street violence has broken the unwritten understanding of treating the Islamists with kid gloves. Even six months back, the islamists or the critics of the Government thought any tough stance against the islamists was not possible or hasina was unwilling. However, the power of the state is now on full display and within its own space, the state is looking very strong.
That is why the somewhat lackluster observance of the lockdown in particular and the corona crisis in general shows that it needs to pay much more attention to it. It’s easy to declare a lockdown but it’s not so to make it happen successfully. The discarding of the rules and general neglect of mask wearing is high in a country where cracking down on Opposition is easy but not making people listen to health sense that is literally killing so many appears so tough.
Many factors are now emerging as critical including the covid hit economy not to mention the capacity of the health structure to look after its sick. Corruption continues to reign despite all the disasters and it is here that the state emerges as both strong and weak simultaneously. Cracking down is clearly easier but ensuring a lockdown is not so.
It’s this prioritization that is missing but till that happens, the state will remain more vulnerable to the virus then it can ever be to the islamists. The virus doesn’t visit resorts, it’s everywhere.
