THE suppression of the lower socio-economic classes is one of the factors that make them prone to violence and intolerance. In a society like ours, segregation on the basis of socio-economic stature, cast or ethnicity has always been very prominent. Be it a developed city or an underdeveloped village, the distinction between the rich and poor, the powerful and the weak is indelible. For instance, if somebody belongs to a lower social class in a rural area, the suppressive infrastructure made by the elite will not let him grow and aspire for a better living and for respect.

The kind of atmosphere they are provided (allowed) doesn’t let them come out of the realm of class consciousness and the label of their respective class remains their identity throughout their lives. Similarly, in urban areas, the division between people on the basis of justice, equality, and materialism is very common. Such differences have led to an increase in crimes like robbery, murder, and even suicide.

Whenever I visit a village, I often observe how landlords have a stronghold on people’s mentality. There are families who have dedicated their lives, and not only theirs but their next generations’ too, to the service of the ones who have a stronghold in their area. That means if somebody is born in a lower social class, he is supposed to follow the same path as his ancestors. He is not allowed to aspire for something better in his life. Even if he does, the class infrastructure provokes him in such a way that he ends up in a pit of despair.

The elite’s capture of power is, in fact, the primary culprit behind a part of our population’s intolerant attitude. What our nation really needs to understand is the fact that we cannot get out of the cycle of violence and the high crime rate until or unless the misuse of power is derailed and equality prevails. When people of a lower class do not earn the respect they deserve and no authority provides them with their civil rights, this will lead to frustration and a reaction that itself is fiercer and unjust. Intolerance and revenge is an outcome of such social infrastructure.

Mohammed Ali Haider Bukhari
Lahore

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2020