The previous 2 parts of the article can be accessed here Part 1, Part 2. This is the third part
My granddaughters, Sahana and Anagha, have by now made it a habit of asking me for more of my geopolitical stories. Anagha likes the stories most, while Sahana is more interested in the deeper geopolitics and how the world works.
So, here goes my next story:
Coup in school
At Sonar High School in the little town of Bongla, the Student Board makes all important decisions. Every club and group on campus sends its representatives to the Board, making it a bustling hub of ideas and debates.
The Board President, Shaykhah Shahina, came from the family of the founders of the school. She had built a strong reputation as a leader who cared deeply for the welfare of all students, balancing between friendship with neighborhood sponsors and the interests of her own school. Many riff-raff students didn’t get along well with her.
Two powerful Board Sponsors, Mr. He Ping Jing (Ping for short) and Mr. Yankee Sam (Sam for short), weren’t happy with her.
Ping was the wealthy owner of a shadowy tutorial institute that wanted to enroll as many of the students as possible in his tutorial institute. Sam, on the other hand, owned a big sports shop and wanted to expand his influence on the school’s sports activities.
For a while, both sponsors had vied for influence over the school. But this time, they shared a common problem: Shahina wasn’t letting them have their way. Whenever Ping tried to influence the students to join his tutorial institute within the school forums, Shahina stood up for the students whose parents resisted it. Whenever Sam tried to sell his sportswear using his influence unduly, Shahina ensured all purchases benefited the students, not just the sports firm.
So, Ping and Sam formed an unlikely alliance. They decided that Shahina had to go and devised a sneaky plan.
They began by funding some outspoken members of the Student Board. They showered them with promises of leadership positions and fancy perks, urging them to raise petty complaints against Shahina. Through their connections in the school’s media club, they started spreading rumors that Shahina was showing favoritism towards some of the students.
It wasn’t long before these stories spread like wildfire. Many students, not knowing the truth, were convinced Shahina was running the Student Board unfairly.
At first, Shahina tried to reason with them, but it was hard to fight against the web of lies spun by the powerful sponsors. The voices of a few manipulated students grew louder.
Though the more studious students were in the majority, they were silent (as always), and the air was rife with anti-Shahina voices, giving the impression to neutral observers that most of the students didn’t like her.
In a shocking turn of events one day, suddenly Shahina was replaced by a new Board President, a timid and inexperienced NuYus. He seemed harmless, but that’s exactly why he was chosen. They knew NuYus would never challenge them. With NuYus in charge, Ping started enrolling students in his private tutorial, and Sam started selling his sports goods to the school.
But the real trouble started when the sponsors began pushing their agendas far. They clashed over which group of students should get more attention.
The school, once known for its vibrant student community, was soon divided into factions. The Drama Club felt neglected, the Debate Team was sidelined, and the Library Club became a battlefield.
Worst of all, a small group of students, who had never been involved in any of the squabbles, found themselves caught in the crossfire. They were just there to study and be part of the school’s community, but they suffered the most. They were overlooked, harassed, and sometimes even driven out of clubs because they didn’t fit into Ping’s or Sam’s schemes.
As chaos spread, the once-proud Sonar High School began to crumble. Students who once worked together now eyed each other with suspicion.
Those student leaders who had helped oust Shahina were left high and dry, realizing they had been nothing more than pawns in a larger game. They had no voice in the overwhelming presence of NuYus, who represented the interests of Ping and Sam.
Now, the future of Sonar High School hangs in the balance. NuYus, the puppet President, is too weak to bring the school back together (if at all he had the intention).
The divided Student Board spends more time fighting over scraps of power than serving the student body. And the students, who had once believed in the dream of a sonar school, are left wondering whether Sonar High School will ever be the same again?
This is not just a story, kids. This is happening right under our noses.
Coup in Bangladesh
This story is inspired by the ongoing political developments in Bangladesh, India’s neighboring country, as reported by PGurus and other media. The recently elected government of Mrs. Sheikh Hasina was targeted by external powers like the US and China.
Both powers sought to install a more compliant leader. They employed covert funding, and media influence, and manipulated social narratives to incite political unrest.
This resulted in the coup of a strong-willed Prime Minister, just into her third term. She was replaced by a pliant leader, a Nobel Laureate, who had gotten his Nobel Prize also through questionable means.
China and the US have successfully destabilized the Bangladesh government, leading to targeted violence against vulnerable communities like Hindus, though they had no role in the conflict.
Bangladesh is not the first such act of destabilization for ulterior motives. And it won’t be the last.
And the so-called democratic world and forums like the UN move on as if nothing has happened. Long live democracies. This is geopolitics.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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