Mohammad Ali Sattar
May be the time has come for all of us to focus deep into the social dangers that stares at us with its ugly teeth bared. Every day when we are treated with scary news of militants’ hideouts and the police operations to nab or kill them, we shudder at the thought being actually helpless and left in a state of uncertainty and gloom.
Invisible enemies are most treacherous because they render you armless and brainless. You can’t see them, can’t gauge their strength, don’t know their composition, no idea about their strategies and foremost is you don’t have any idea about their campsites.
So you don’t have plans in place for them. You are chart less, only left to the mercy of fate for your life and well being.
Since we belong to this time and a member of the global community we also need to know the conditions that are taking shape. The wind of change is blowing hard. It is no more the tranquil breeze of love, peace and development. It is a storm that is sweeping the global landscape with ruthless thoughts of vengeance. While the world is witnessing a massive transformation in trade and commerce, there is also a disturbing shift of politics and religious thoughts and actions.
The government all over has taken to policies of repression of sorts. The idea of democracy as expounded by the ancient fathers and their disciples are not the ones that we prefer now, or for that matter, the ideals of the pioneers are not suitable today.
Democracy or peoples’ rule have been severely jolted by the principles of post modern politics and typical destructive agendas of the world leaders, part of civil societies and section of armed forces. World over, there is always this nexus of three working in tandem as the ruling coterie.
It is only natural that society and its system will cope with the changing dynamics. There is a peculiar paradigm shift in socio economic thinking. The resultant scenario is the huge incongruity in the social order. There is that one percent enjoying 99 per cent of the world wealth.
The development indexes measured in terms of GDP and GNP etc., are only an economic parameter to count the ups and downs of the economic and finance scenario of a country, region and the world. Fine with that.
However the criteria on which to take decisions have been changing. Decisions and choices of convenience are in vogue. The economic battle for supremacy will be there until the end of the civilization. But the unhealthy competition is damaging the moral fabrics of our society which is delivering ONLY the negatives and pessimism. We have been driven into the world of immoral doctrines.
Politics and wealth come together. Along with it comes the power, without which nothing is possible. So the world resources are sucked in by the powerful through force and dirty diplomacy.
The preoccupation of the leaders (social and political) for power and wealth is giving birth to ‘injustice, deprivation and eventually extremism. And in course of this complex exercise the religion card is being played by the weak quarters. Over the time the religion issue has gain grounds and most of the trouble mongers around the world have taken up the religion route to stir trouble in places of their choice.
This brings one to conclude that the governments of almost all the countries of the world have exposed their weaknesses to counter the threat of extremism. The governments also started to play the religion card, albeit in different approach. All sides appear to be talking and fighting for the religion. The extremists are protesting objectionable behavior of the non-believers or liberals and the governing and ‘free thinkers’ are fighting to protect the moderate conviction. So it’s the religion in the center of all conflicts and differences.
All these troubles are actually outcome of ‘low’ quality school of thoughts. The quality of leadership is falling so is the quality of delivery that they are giving.
The concept of global political relationship has undergone a significant change. The powers that be are shaken to the root. US is experiencing frequent challenges from its adversary. Even the small nations in West Asia region are a threat to US peace and dominance. The rise of China is perturbing for the US and the West alike.
Russia has always been in a discomfort zone in the internal circuit. Russian politics is amazingly bizarre. European Union states are not in peace.
Their domestic policies are not serving the right purpose. Somewhere the European states are being driven by ‘extreme’ thought of its leaders. On one hand their ever growing complex social problems are keeping the politics in turmoil, on the other, fear of terror have turned the respective administration into homes of ‘state extremists’. Entire EU is entangled in confusion and conflicting thoughts. These are spilling over into the Mediterranean to reach the shores of distant lands. The Middle Eastern states, with their huge resources, are naturally the target of the West and the East. The whole region is burning. Our subcontinent is not in peace either. Afghanistan is not only a failed state, it is not state at all. Pakistan is affected badly. Chances of peace are gone.
India has multifarious problems. Internal policies and social unrest persists. Indian neighbors are not happy with her. India is going ahead with her ambitious program of security and economics. Of late the security agreement with US is a landmark deed. This has caused a huge wave in China.
There is ongoing unrest in Myanmar. New leader Su Kyi is still undecided about her future plans. She is more inclined to concentrate power in her hands than addressing issues that is crying aloud. Although Myanmar is now having a civilian government it is still not (will never be) free from the military dictation. That has become evident from the new arrangements agreed upon by all parties in the country just prior to the transition.
China has risen. But she also has her domestic issues that are kept under control by force. The communist nation is hard working, talented and aggressive. The economic surge that she is experiencing is a great leap forward for the nation. At the same time there is the traditional aggressive attitude showing in them. There are already misgivings expressed by the neighbors regarding the South Islands that China is occupying. There are also a few questions about minority and human rights issues inside China.
Away in the Far East, Japan is going through sever economic uncertainty. Her politics is never stable. Her global position is also under strain. She is forced to make commitments to be a party to warring nations and so-called allied force in the strife torn ME. The government in Tokyo is always under sort of corruption stigma or internal political bickering.
However Shinzo Abe is managing things quite nicely for the moment. His changing gears are a sign of smart handling of global issues. He had a good outing with the Russian leader a few days back at Vladivostok.
Then we have the Chinese ally North Korea making all sorts of noises. Its young leader is up with so many military exercises and show of nuke power that the region remains under threat forever.
All these and others have direct consequence on the respective social systems. The social life is affected by political decisions and economic policies. When there is the air of inequality or injustice blowing, there ought to be some degree of unrest. Individual unrest gradually becomes a collective jargon of protest.
And gradually it takes turns for worse. From political and social unrest extreme forces emerge. These forces ultimately look for opening and outlets to redress their grievances. All kinds of ‘inequality ‘and ‘injustices’ crop up thus creating a situation which is hard to encounter.The ruling class and a section of opportunist (the nexus as mentioned earlier) in the society help create these extreme elements and later this nexus of e power have to fight the same elements to get rid of them.
Email: malisattar@outlook.com