I share A Rashid's concerns ('Hisham, an Anwar supporter?' June 18) about the way all efforts for democratic change get assimilated into or associated with the Barisan Alternatif and the campaign for Anwar Ibrahim's release.

This seemingly minor mistake is grounded in something far more troubling which is related to the trajectory of the democratic movement.

The social conservatism that both the BA and Anwar Ibrahim campaign represent is just one of the many reasons why that we should be wary of this tendency. It is also not clear to me how democratic the so-called democratic movement is. It is a question that many sympathisers refuse to ask.

I was there on Black 14 but I also believe our democratic vision has narrowed over the last two years. I also left that day disturbed by the fact that politicians dominated the proceedings.

It's clear to me that since the demise of proto-democratic expressions such as the Gagasan Rakyat the struggle for democracy has been increasingly narrowed to the party political.

Together with this is the defection of civil society activists to political parties which I believe has also undermined the potential balance that they could have given to forces aligned for democratic change.

I do not deny the right of individuals to make such choices but I believe the net effect is - as some remain in NGOs - to muddy the waters and create the impression that NGOs are extensions of political parties.

This political crisis has left us with a society deeply divided with its attendant social pathologies: intolerance of difference; moral absolutism; a black-and-white view of issues; a tendency to demonise others and exalt oneself; a willingness to distort history to preserve present alliances; an unwillingness to deal with differences; a fear of acknowledging contradictions; and a preference for pity, hate and fear as emotional modalities for mass mobilisation.

The creation of a truly democratic movement is not going to be easy because those of us who want change haven't acknowledged the rot on this side of the barricades. We are too afraid to subject ourselves to a thorough-going critique. Afraid that it might be used against us as well as afraid that we might find that our side is as much about politics, and much less about morality we claim for ourselves.

Ultimately, I believe, we need to be invested in a movement that has the capacity to begin a dialogue across the political spectrum, that can educate without indulging in propaganda and can enthuse our fellow citizens with emotions other than pity and hate.

I suppose all this is easier said than done.