Untold Facts

Good But

It was good to know from a press report that the P.M. Sheikh Hasina had admonished her cabinet colleague for inept talks and giving incorrect facts in the media. Let us hope that they would be more careful now on.

The physician Foreign Minister Dipu Moni made a statement that her Deputy Dr. Hasan refuted right then for factual error. And so the P.M. rightly admonished her.

I recall here an incident of my early life in late 20s. As a Pakistan central government scholarship holder I had the fortune to be in the USA for technological higher studies in mid sixties of the last century. The courses I had to follow apart from technological subjects included history and political science. One day in political science theory class Professor Dr. George Muer in course of a lecture commented that all technically trained persons were ‘half educated’. I took offence and asked him what he meant by that term ‘half educated’. He explained for me that as the technically trained persons undergo rigorously in the specific technical specialization areas, they get little or no worthy learning in social sciences, and so they remain half educated so far as the macro social milieu was concerned. I took his point. Possibly that incidental learning had many after effects on my thought. My subsequent persuasions were hardly technology but not only liberal education mainly in the University of London but also changed on to pursuing subject areas other than technology in my latter life and in teaching career.

In my retired life, I discovered that I have many half educated ones around me. Our two sons and the only daughter are physicians, two had post graduations, as well; two in-laws are also physicians with post graduations. Now I suffer from a sort of maniac. When my secondary school going granddaughter asked me questions about social issues in difference of her physician parents, I called them half educated ones that though hurt her but I found no alternative. She argued with me that physicians are good enough as they treat ailing persons as I am also in constant care of the physician sons, daughter and in laws. I did’t disagree with her for the utility but impressed on her that she must have a degree from the Oxford University in history or similar social science subjects to be able to appreciate what I meant to her using the term ‘half educated’. She, however, already had retorted to me that when she would finish the Oxford Degree in History I would not live but would die before her finishing the Oxford Degree. I replied to her that I needed not live to see her graduated; she would then herself appreciate what I meant by the term for the physicians, in this case.

Human knowledge is always partial and little compared to huge in store at this stage that many call the period of explosion of knowledge. But if one would keep one’s eyes open, he/she could have new knowledge at every moments of living life. Factual information is only a minute part of some attainment in cognitive domain. Such information gathering is feasible if one would consciously keep one’s mind independently open to new ideas and facts. I would put emphasis on the term independent or in this case thinking independently and rationally and not in a state of spoon-fed way.

Unfortunately, narrowly trained technical men and women though may be successful in application of their narrow area of skills, they may not necessarily be successful in the delicate area of public administration as particularly the Foreign Ministry that requires dealing with all countries of the world in varied persuasions. The matter may run into further trouble if playing sycophancy for the boss instead of free- thinking plays any part.

Ministers may not be expert that is quite likely given the political culture featuring Bangladesh society. But there should not have any shortage of experienced and knowledgeable persons in the bureaucracy. Such experienced persons could well be consulted before any minister would make any observation on any sensitive matter.

At the moment some may forgive many ministers making incorrect observations for they are novice, but so far as the future welfare of the country is concerned the ministers should be expected to behave responsibly in accuracy of facts and utterances as it remains a matter not only of dignity of the country but also of position in the estimation of many in the outside world, as well.

Author: M.T. Hussain