In societies like Pakistan, we have two categories of elites. The heredity elite and the elite of merit.
LAHORE: This is with reference to Ejaz Haider’s piece “Elites, paradox, and rules of the game” (November 7). The writer has written a thoughtful piece. All elite cannot be termed one class, a layer and/or a type. In societies like Pakistan, we have two categories of elites. One is the hereditary elite where blood line determines their position in society. This is the nobility or the aristocracy and you find this elite to be socially, culturally and politically dominant in Pakistan and many other traditional societies.
There is another elite, which is the elite of merit. Entry to this modern elite class that is referred to as academics, doctors and engineers is primarily professional. In this category, individuals through their personal struggle, motivation and strength of character, achieve remarkable success in life, which gets acknowledged. For example, the American elite class in the main areas of national life — culture, knowledge, professions like law and business — comprise achievers and merit-based elites.
While traditional nobility in Pakistan remains dominant, in soft areas of power and influence the other category of elite — the professionals — have carved out a space in society that is likely to expand as we move forward. All societies have a mixture of elites. The writer is absolutely correct in linking elites with rules, but in our case, the traditional elite has a somewhat authoritarian tendency. It is the other category, the elites of merit that will have to strive for the rule of law. The important thing is that you reform, restructure, change and reorient. That is a law of social change and change happens either through conscious effort or by invisible role of material forces, like economy and technology.
Rasul Bakhsh Rais
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2012.
