COULD he have been joking? Maybe, there was an element of irony or cynicism in his comments about the hegemony of privilege. But the more we analyse media reports of a Senate meeting on Thursday, the clearer it becomes that the august member of the upper house Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar was not in a jovial mood. Nor can his remarks be seen as an attempt at bringing out the disparity between the poverty-stricken and the privileged strata. His was an earnest evaluation as he saw it from his perch that, fortunately for him, exists at a considerable distance from the homes of the poor. Only complete ignorance on his part can explain the nonchalance that his words conveyed.

Sardar Nasar appears to think that if everyone were to become rich there would be no one to labour and till the land — this is far from an original assertion but always a timely one. According to the reports, he was ready to stand his ground as some of his colleagues in the house tried to make him take a more balanced and politically correct view of the issue. Maybe he will be brought around to accepting their advice and eventually concede that he had been indiscreet. That would be desirable for the system but even if that does not happen, some merit can be found in the senator’s comments. By speaking his mind he did provide a more realistic measure of the problem that those who have been struggling for various kinds of equalities continue to face. Such reality checks are perhaps necessary from time to time. They are better than having 10 revered personalities debating just how cruel the world is to the underprivileged, while being convinced deep down that their speeches are not likely to change the status quo and create an impression about a benevolent world where none exists. One can thank the senator for reminding us of a mindset that will continue to hold society back.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2016