As the act of few individuals cannot be generalised as a class attitude
LAHORE: A society will remain far removed from change and uplift if the bearers of the change become the mockers of the helpless and poor. Recently, a story of students from Beaconhouse National University Lahore went viral on social media. A group of students on a visit to a slum locality in Lahore photographed the locals of the area and posted them on social media sites with demeaning captions. This is just another reflection of the mindset of the privileged that finds its pleasure in the suffering of other humans, who are like them, equally deserving of the same but divided by class and fate.
As the act of few individuals cannot be generalised as a class attitude, the mindset of the privileged has always in one way or the other upheld the inequality and class difference. As an offshoot of a capitalist society, suffering and inequality in Pakistan has seeped deep into the roots and will continue to be so as long as the same societal structure and mindset continue to give one section of society an unspoken dominance over the other. Belonging to the elite social class does not only entitle one to a better lifestyle but also to dominance over the life of the other. It is pertinent to remember that not just one social institution plays its role in perpetuating such a divide, in fact the institution of family and education also contribute to the same.
Uzair Shahid
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2017.
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