End of history: of Gaddafi, Fukuyama and Shahidul Jaheer

Recent events in world 'history' [ Western academics have invented this wonderful phrase 'recent history'] remind me of the Bangladeshi author Shahidul Jahir's dark comic tale – 'Indur Bilai Khela', i.e. A Game of Cat and Mouse. A game that goes on forever without an end. Though the result is very much predictable the game does offer some excitements to the casual onlookers as cats and mouse at times reverse their roles. Some times a new and even stronger cat arrives in the scene to 'declare' that all others can do is to run for cover. The cat then chases down the mice. The circular pattern of the short story evokes a sense of humiliation, awe and utter helplessness. There seems to be no end to the misery for the cat's victims. This is how the world orbits round the sun, seasons change, sky takes different colours, men fall in love, women give birth to children, people die. But the game of cat and mouse never stops. However hard the mouse might try to escape his fate, it's the cat who always win at the end. The predator--prey relationship is so natural; even anti-Darwinian clergies will have no problem in accepting that. By the way cats are always above the law! They can strike where they want, how they want, when they want to end the mouse menace. And yet the mice keep inventing newer avenues to survive, they resurface in the most unlikeliest place. So the chase never ends. The bitter and dark humour of Shahidul's story certainly springs from his immediate surrounding but one can hardly miss the universal appeal that it contains in today's world. It's the nature of Shahidul's works to assimilate the socio-political-economic factors of his time in a way that his story becomes the mirror for a whole human community. This is where he is so uniquely different from other Bangladeshi writers of his time.

Libyan CAT Gaddafi is dead. He has succumbed to the bullets pumped in by the agents of an even BIGGER CAT. Rats are out in open celebrating their much awaited 'freedom'. Some of them in due course of time will turn into cats. We need cats to manage these chaotic rats. Don't we?

Meanwhile the dead body of the Saharan 'brother leader' remains in the cold meat locker in Misarata, after being kicked around the town. A town that once had to pay dearly for its opposition against the Libyan despot has now erupted with sporadic chants of – 'Allahu Akbar'. All is clear now. Libya looks well in course of 'making history'. The 'world will be a better place without him'.

Amidst the conflicting din I really don't understand why people still don't accept Fukuyama's famous prophecy on the end of history. We need a 'universal and homogenous' system to run the show. We need 'peace', 'harmony', 'progress' and 'development'. The juggernaut of democracy seemed to be rolling quite smoothly. In fact it has gained huge momentum since the creation of unipolar world in the 1990s. The world is an infinitely superior place where there is no commie spies, no nuclear warhead looking for the heads of their western counterparts, no power block, no alternative. Democracy is the answer to all the ills of the world. The rhetoric looks stable enough to get oil and gas siphoned out of Iraq, Libya and so on. Only Uncle Sam KNOWS what will come next on your news channel. May be it's time for Hugo Chavez, or may be that worst spelt Iranian president whose name is so difficult to remember. The heads are tumbling one after another. So, I have no doubt whatsoever that globally we are nearing the end of history.

India is safe, though. We are safe. Our democracy is in place. Believe me! our Nobel laureate Economist turned patriot Indologist Dr. Sen himself has claimed it. Luckily for us our history has already ended with the achievement of freedom. There is no need to worry for us. We don't have cats amongst us. Once the simple peace loving pigeons of NAM we have become lambs to our modern messiah as we have comfortably transformed ourselves from a third world country to a developing nation. So please don't press the panic button. As long as Dhoni and his boys keep winning matches and Anna and his team protest corrupt politicians we have nothing to fear. We are a vibrant nation ..boss!! Economically we are strong, we have a huge battery of independent media houses, circulating enough independent voices to feel us secure every night during the prime time. Our nights are cool, dreamy and air-conditioned. Our mornings are full of light. In an ocean of ignorance flooded with the light of bliss we are weltering in happy harmony with our past, present and future. So CHEERS!!