THE world has been the least changed since its inception, though humanity has been claiming its civilizations and being cultured. We are still standing at a place where right is only for the might which means that the guarantee of the right towards a weak can easily be denied and justification for such an unjustification can also be found so quickly. This entails that all claims to a civilization based on right and wrong, duties and rights have failed to maintain themselves and in this age of knowledge and information, man can turn brute wherever and whenever the chance is there.
It is touted always in a so-called civilized setup that duties and rights are part of all the systems of the universe. The man was promised in almost all religions that he would get his rights of being equal to other human beings if he performed duties due to him. But it is not happening. Throughout the ages, the difference between the powerful and the powerless has existed. Mankind, however, attempted to bridge this gap by establishing civilization and creating cultural patterns of love and affinity. Civilization was established only at the point of view of helping each other survive but mankind soon forgot their established tradition and allowed the powerful to rule the rooster. The same has followed in the 21st century.
The Last couple of centuries witnessed a colonial onslaught by many imperialist races of the world, especially the ones who justified their occupation of the weaker and less powerful races and exploited their men and materials most brutally. Human beings were used and exploited just like animals and were given no rights at all. The bigger the power, the faster the empire was created. The post-war years of the 1940s witnessed decolonization only to be replaced by a different kind of colonization by creating even new instruments of exercising powerful control upon the poorer and weaker nations of the world. These instruments were in the shape of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and even the United Nations. The UN created for the rights of humanity still has a power of veto for a few chosen ones which keeps on ensuring the right of the might.
The 21st Century wars have also been fought on the same pattern, rather mostly these were one-sided wars of the mighty. The powerful discourses are unleashed before attacking the weak. Everyone is made to toe the line of power and so no one objected even after knowing that war was denying the right of existence to the weak and the poor communities. The same holds good in the socio-political behaviours of the people. The individuals follow the dictates of the powerful man or group. The larger the group of followers, the bigger the power one enjoys. So, much so that the standard of success and promotion is also being measured with reference to power and the mighty. The best resources are diverted to the powerful and the weak are deprived of even the quality of food and lifestyle. This is creating a rapidly expanding gulf between the powerful countries that somehow guarantee rights to their individuals and the countries whose rights are denied altogether. Today the world is witnessing the oppression on people like Kashmir and Palestine where there are no rights given only because no power is with such people.
The ‘rights for the might only’ is dividing the people in the third world countries more poignantly because only a small fraction of the people have access to resources and therefore they are amassing money while the less powerful are gradually losing their hard-earned wealth. The lifestyle and provision of perks are widely different. The powerful, for example, live in gated colonies well protected by security and their children are trained in the future in costly and well-maintained institutions. Their businesses are rapidly amassing more wealth and on the other hand, the dearness and poverty of business is creating a class of poor people with no rights to quality of life. It will not go non-consequential because such huge divides give birth to crimes, violence, bloodshed and lawlessness of huge proportions. Almost entire humanity is falling into this trap of right for the might.
So, it is the right time to act against this rising situation. Intellectuals, centres of power, the wealthy and statesmen must sit together to devise ways and means to ensure equality of rights to all individuals regardless of race colour, or value of money, otherwise we are heading very speedily into an abyss of chaos and anarchy which would shatter even the last remnants of human civilization and culture. Access to quality life and resources to earn a living must be ensured at all levels of life. The state institutions must be made powerful enough to safeguard the rights of financially and politically weak human beings. Almost all religious and moral codes along with civilizations and cultures advocate guarantee of equal rights for all citizens, why then in the sections of the globe this equality is knowingly and willingly being crushed.
—The writer is a Professor of English at Emerson University, Multan, and has a vast international exposure.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
