Anu Muhammad
Translation by Moti Rahman
Dedicated to
Fidel Castro, conceived in his life, dreams for many .
FOREWORD (first edition, February 1, 2007)
Fidel Castro and his compatriots started a journey from a port of Mexico in 1956 and entered Cuba with a firm conviction to free her. Their guerrilla warfare began in the mountains of Sierra Maestra. Victory came three years later. Cuba entered into the book of new history on January 1, 1959. But, he could not change his dress of a guerrilla warrior that he had worn in the mountains during the war. He did not go back to wear the ordinary shirts and pants. Why? Fidel says, “The war is not finished yet. How could I change my dress?” Neither could he shave his beards for the same reason. The war never ended for him. So were the days and nights that were in the time of the war. He could not have a steady family life nor did he have a regular sleep or a meal until he tumbled on the floor of a hospital recently. There was always a new war-front in Cuba since its’ independence.
This book is being published at a time when Fidel Castro was also fighting a war in his own health front. I could not meet Fidel. But I did not feel this disappointment while in Cuba, as Fidel the individual, was present there in the greater Cuban community. My intention was to see a revolution that never ended. I wanted to see the little settlement called Cuba, which loomed larger then itself in the world. Have a look at its’ weaknesses and strengths. I have seen it, and came back home with a hope of seeing more of it again.
Long ago, Cuba has become larger than itself in the world. She has much less to care about the existence of a monstrous imperialist power next door, and established a community of its’ own people and their footprints very successfully. Cuba has not only broken “hundred years of solitude” in the Latin America, but also has encouraged powerful partners in the pursuit. Many people hold the notion that the objective of revolution is to alleviate poverty or provision of food and clothing to the poor. These objectives can be fulfilled without dreaming big. Basically, that is not the objective of a revolution, however, People contemplate dream of revolution as means to recover the human from under the down-trodden, oppressed and exploited humanity, and place them in such an status where human blooms; where they are not mere numbers. The free people are the great creators in their society. Such condition does not arise through commands; rather it is achieved through collective vision and inspiration. And through such vision and inspiration, an individual is able to flourish. Therefore, in a revolutionary situation, ecstasy of creation lies in fellow feelings, co-operations and in protest. The Cuban Revolution, I believe, has led revolution to such a level. This is an unprecedented dream. We can see a very uncommon ecstasy of being creative - a kind of spirituality that no religion could ever provide. There exists a lot of want of objects, but individual and collective strength is keeping the revolution well living.
Cuba has gone through many ups and downs since the revolution. The time between 1959 and 1971 has been spent in garbage removal. Since 1971, ample time was given to reorganize the nation. Some of the partners who followed a wrong path were lost during this period of reorganization, and the little Cuba was there all by herself by 1990. At the front is the blood thirsty Monster, posing a devil’s smile. where goes now this little red ant! But the Cuban revolutionaries are not to give up. With the huge physical power, the U. S. of America could never overpower the moral strength of this tiny Cuba. They could not face it so far.
Thus is revolutionary Cuba, going ahead and strong! Does this mean that it would survive? I cannot be sure, as the hyenas around the world have so many tricks under their paws! Who can guaranty that every attempt would be neutered? Even if Cuba ceases to survive, it would give us the warmth all right. A wider Cuba is being created and it will grow.
Cuba has given up much in order to face the direst of situations all by herself and that’s with much creativity to preserve her social base. At the end of the 90s, Latin American countries courageously came forward to join Cuba one by one Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, and Chile. The daydreams of the imperialist projects have fallen flat. Latin America is following a different path now. They are our compatriots. Hence, the Latin America of Bolivar, Marti, Che, Fidel, Chavez and Morales become a part of our world.
This book is about the world we want to shape, the dream we foster, and fight for. This is about seeing, knowing, and understanding the world of our aspirations. May this book add to our collective knowledge?
Anu Muhammad February 1, 2007
Professor of Economics,
Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Bangladesh.
Prelude to second edition
Three years have passed since the first publication of this book. American sections/blockade is still in place over Cuba. The resistance and counter movements have also not lessened a bit in Latin America. Venezuela and Bolivia is trying to realize as much new programs as possible in their election processes. But there is no dearth of obstacles and counterforce.
The global economic depression in the last two years has once again highlighted the rising fraudulence and lack of substance in the corporate capitalist empires. This economic turmoil has also shown how much insecurity and uncertainties the people live in, in the centers of the imperialist countries. There, authorities are now busy infusing a balance through bailing out corporations with taxpayer’s money, and even bringing some of them under state control. Now there appeared a condition of anarchy and uncertainties. Moreover, people are losing their confidence on the existing system and the political leadership there. As I write this prelude, there goes a vigorous attempt at curving people’s rights, and livelihood in some European countries. Expenditures in the health and education sectors are being curtailed, workers are being laid off and job creation has been stopped, all in the name of “austerity” and “fixing-the-problem” of the capitalist crises. At the same time, there goes protest demonstration by the students, workers and professionals all over Europe.
Fidel Castro Lives on. He was sick from an incurable disease that could have killed him. Fidel did not have to go to other countries for treatment, as a world-class healthcare system is available in Cuba. He got cured by the same medical expertise, which a common Cuban citizen receives. But he is no more an able-bodied person. He does not take part in any formal official jobs any more. Yet, he has a keen interest on all-important global and national matters. He also keep writing every week.
Running the state affairs now lies with another forerunner of the Cuban revolution, Raul Castro. Recently, he announced a programmed of economic reform. This programmed has been taken up in the line of the 1990s, although it has created new apprehensions. There are various and often-contradictory explanations for this reform programmed. However, it is hoped that the process of programmed implementation would show the path it will take. . Cuba has treaded an arduous path, and still doing so, through the pressures of sections/blockade, global turmoil, and internal problems. The salient features of these issues have been noted earlier in this book.
Three years after my Cuba visit, I had an opportunity to go to Venezuela in 2008. In a meeting with us, Hugo Chavez had us have a description of his meeting with the ailing Fidel Castro. Chavez described how keenly Fidel was following the developments in Venezuela, and forwarded his advices. Chavez further noted, “I was approaching the door on my way out, when I heard him calling me and said in a loud voice, “ Chavez, We Will Win.” His hand was raised above his head when he shouted those words!
Is there any alternative but winning? This will be the winning of humanity over the satanic and unscrupulous power, and against the power of occupation. There is no alternative to winning over the ruthless aggression of the existing global system. The People, the Environment, and the Natural Resources need to be protected.
Anu Muhammad, January 10, 2011.
Department of Economics,
Jahangirnagar University.
On The Way To Havana: What is there and what is not!
Sentinels of Latin America!
‘Sitting on a nearby banyan tree on the bank of Lake Katlaha“, writes Akhteruzzaman Elias in his novel “Khuabnama“, “Sentinel Baitullah Shah oversees the people of the locality. This he has been doing for last few hundred years since he fell to a British bullet while leading a demonstration against the colonial rule.’ It is not only the people of the area that listen to him, the birds in the sky, fishes in the lake waters, all other animals in the woods, even the trees obey his commands. His bullet-ridden body never ages, nor it lacks the spirit. Baitullah’s spirit rather increases gradually and spreads into our body. This has no end to it! That spirit accumulates in the “Peasants Share Movements, and into some more new areas.”
A floating image of this Sentinel sitting on the banyan tree on the bank of the lake katlaha pops up in my mind as I talk about Cuba, and think of Latin America. In the whole of Latin America, there were two such sentinels in the 19th century, and in the 20th century, there are 3.of them! And this number is going to be 4, pretty soon. The first one is Venezuela’s Simon Bolivar, the second one is Cuba’s Hose Marty and the third one is Che Guevara of Argentina. I’ll tell, in the course of this writing, how they became the spiritual embodiment of lasting hope. I’ll present the 4th name in the last chapter of this book.
Who is near, who is far!
Latin America, along with Cuba is really far from Bangladesh. In every aspects! Geographically for sure, it is far mentally too. For Bangladesh, the closest country is the US of America, although geographically they are far apart. One can argue about the geographical closeness of India to Bangladesh! But the news streams of USA, how’s and whys of the US government, the American trades, the excitements of crimes in the USA, the movie stars, are all too familiar and easily available to a Bangladeshi lot. And, thanks to satellite communications, connecting USA and Canada from Bangladesh is the cheapest in the world, although, much remains as unknowable behind the glitter and clamor.
The number of Bangladeshi population, i.e. the immigrants, has increased many folds in North America. Following restrictions imposed on immigration visas. the number of immigrants, legal or illegal, to USA has declined significantly since September 11, 2001, concurrently increasing the flow of Bangladeshi immigrants to Canada.
However, Most of the expatriate income comes from the Middle East (ME), as it remains the main destination for Bangladeshi workers. But, in terms of immigration, North America attracts most of the Bangladeshis. The number of immigrants to North America, along with Europe and Australia, has increased significantly for last ten years. Those who come to North America, usually settles there permanently, and those who move to the ME, do so on a work permit for a specified time period.
United Kingdom (UK) is the next country closer to Bangladesh after the USA. As a colonial overlord, UK was once the closest country to Bangladesh. A large number of Bangladeshis have settled there. But such opportunity has been diminished, and the colonial over-lordship of Bangladesh has been shifted from the UK to the USA. Although not in terms of the old geographical colonization, which really is not needed anymore, the USA is the colonial overlord of Bangladesh in every other sense. In terms of pursuing a “development model”, the Bangladeshi intellectual discourse idealizes the USA.
Therefore, Bangladesh is so closely exposed to the, USA, UK, and Canada than any other country. Language plays an important role in facilitating such a close relationship. Bangladesh has English language as a legacy of the British colony. Hence, there was no language-based obstacle in the shift from UK to USA, as the Anglo-Saxon vision overshadows all others. I wish to penetrate this very ‘overshadow’ and present the wide world of the Latin America in this book.
Geographically, Latin America is a far away land, but despite their relative proximity, countries like, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, South and North Korea, and even Myanmar, are not much known to Bangladesh.
A Forbidden Name in Bangladesh
Cuba came in to the parlance of discussions in 1973 for the first time. At that time, this little and unknown Cuba was a prominent partner in the Non-aligned Movement (NAM). Sheik Mujibur Rahman, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, met Fidel Castro in one of the NAM conferences. In that meeting, Cuba expressed interest in establishing mutual trade relationship, to which Bangladesh readily agreed and initiated exports of Jute to Cuba. We came to know later that the US government was very annoyed at this prospect of trade relations, and a shipload of food items was ordered back to USA at a time when the famine-stricken people of Bangladesh was dying by the thousands. That was in 1974.
We heard that Fidel Castro inquired about the post-liberation governance in Bangladesh. To which Sheikh Mujib said, “There is a dearth of experienced civil service personnel. That’s what make us to engage in public administration, those who opposed our liberation.” Castro reportedly did not like the idea! And said, “If inexperienced people are patriots and have commitment to the cause, it is not impossible to train them and make them skilled. But it is utterly dangerous to engage an experienced person who is anti-state and anti-people!”
There exists no evidence that Sheikh Mujib paid any heed to such advice. And Bangladesh had to submit to the US anger and got herself detached from Cuba. In those days Bangladesh had very good economic relationship with the Soviet Union. There were relationships with the Eastern Europeans as well. These relations, however, did not cause any annoyance to the US government, but it did when it came to the matter of Cuba. Why the USA is angry at Cuba? US does not stop at mere expression of anger, it materializes its’ anger through various means. We see sanctions, embargos and blockades all around. US sanctions and embargos have been in place from the very beginning of Cuba, and as the days passed, the sections became stringent. It is not only the sections or blockade alone by which the US attempted to thwart the Cuban revolution; there were numerous covert, and open but failed, attempt of staged insurgencies. There were also number of attempts at killing Fidel Castro and his other comrades. They killed Che Guevara and the whole capitalist world practically rejoiced the brutal killing!
As far as the US considers Cuba as their arch enemy, the elite groups or the party that manage and run Bangladesh, are scared even to utter the word “Cuba” lest the US of America is annoyed with us. Hence, there is no trade relations between Cuba and Bangladesh, although, considering the commodities involved, there are relative advantages in trades between the two. Many Latin American countries, including Cuba, are suitable for export of Ready-Made-Garments from Bangladesh. This could lessen the over-dependence on US markets for the Bangladeshi garments. This very dependence in turn, dictates why there is no initiative to go Latin American way. Cuba once wanted to send doctors and medical technologies to Bangladesh, but Bangladesh did not show any interests.
to be continued...
