KARACHI:
It is said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Every individual is blessed with some kind of power. The world has been designed in a way that one has power over another. For instance, in a male-dominant society, men have power over the household, but the women tend to have power over children. Both individuals have their own power and exercise it where needed. The male chauvinist culture also tends to misuse the power they have over women, while women use their power to influence their children and their male peers. There is an argument that women emotionally blackmail their male partners to show their power. The argument is not about who is correct or right, instead it is about exploiting the power one has. This is how the power dynamic works.
There is a similar power system at work in the political arena. We all know that some politicians are corrupt, who misuse their powers to legally clear themselves of the charges made against them. Their absolute power has led us to believe that in our society the question of being just has a skewed criterion. The politicians are nothing but a pile of oxymoronic individuals. Their conflicting views keep the common man in a daze. Citizens are not allowed to accuse them or question them.
The luxury of justice lies with those that have power. The rest continue with their constant struggle to understand and achieve justice. The idea of power should be challenged and rethought from the perspective of the common man. Only by understanding the fact that “power is not discipline, rather discipline is simply one way in which power can be exercised” can we achieve justice in society.
Hamait Ashter Haider
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2021.
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