Pursuit of ignorance?

Though the title might sound rather oxymoronic, as ignorance is rarely worth pursuing, the same, nevertheless, has been one of the most desired and perhaps sought-after pursuits vis-à-vis the masses in the corridors of power in our part of the world. This is, as has been throughout history, manifested in all-out efforts to gloss over truth, distort realities, frame exclusive practices for sustaining historical lies, glorify what the country and its people were made to face and justify curbs on questioning, critical thinking, dissent and rights.

The pursuit of ignorance or, more aptly, engineered ignorance, suggests a pursuit that tends to cultivate manipulated consent and solidify the interests of particular groups, ideologies and brute operational realities.

You might question the claims of public support and logic for paradoxical pursuits — that is, what is it that mandates stakeholders to work against people and truth, and seek manipulated consent? What did all the democratic promises, social contracts and slogans of "people as the fountainhead of power" truly serve? What are the two dynastic despots — institutions and individuals — each claiming, and essentially at others' detriment, outright public support meant for? Or what about social media posts, advertisements and prime-time commercials funded from public taxes in the largely redundant broadcast media, featuring key functionaries claiming outright public support?

The answer, though not that brainy, is rather painful and lies in the question itself: why, unlike elsewhere where people are politically awakened and socio-economically empowered by their "entrusted and mandated" stakeholder, do ours almost do otherwise? Since most of Pakistan's power structures and institutions have rarely been truly mandated by and for the people's ultimate welfare, they have been making strides in what they mean for. That is, they understandably show little, if any, concern for the subjects.

Why should "mightily righteous" individuals, dynasties and institutions unanswerable to the people serve them at any of their own detriment — only because people's agonies, blood, sweat and labour fund them? Or only because people's phantom support is claimed when in trouble?

Therefore, the statesmanship rightly responds to the wishes and interests of stratocrats, two dynastic despots, clergy, judges and courtier media persons in justifying all that exists, and the pirs, bureaucracy, tribal, feudal and ethnic leaders, and every corrupt and cunning character in dividing, distracting and persecuting people. All in the name of service.

The way the bureaucracy, or its misnomer, the "public servants," serves the masses is more enslaving than otherwise. Therefore, would not the people, without being served by their "servant," be advantageously positioned? Doesn't the same hold for the paid and patronised edicts of clergy, judgments of superior judges, the "programmed" programs and preaching of doctored narratives of media persons? Don't they, through virtually serving the masses, largely serve themselves and their patrons' rule over the masses through ignorance? The very masses, most of whom are left to struggle in poverty, systematic persecution and hopelessness.

The people are made to serve the powers in three ways. First, the existence of subjects, however subjugated, helps justify authoritarianism under 'democracy'. Second, the people afford powerful individuals and institutions the pretence of being supported by them. For instance, the phantom or AstroTurf support helps navigate the powers in their testing times. Third, the disadvantaged plight effectively funds and sustains the power and prestige of the power structure.

Yet, the people's awakening has lately decoded a putrid and tyrannical system — one that stands above the constitution and the law and is utterly devoid of empathy for the people — which has been encrypted for democracy and service. This makes the brute system increasingly unsustainable, leaving it only two possible paths: eventual collapse under its own weight or genuine democratisation.