Trampling individualism

Individualism has always been in conflict with the tribal social structure and collectivist culture of Pakistan.

Welfare, respect and care of an individual are cornerstones of policies of the developed and truly civilised world. In Pakistan, we have failed to establish a moderate, tolerant, pluralistic and thus, a liberal and democratic society fundamentally because we could not give individuals their due respect and rights. One of the main postulates of the liberal political and social theory is individualism as opposed to any form of collectivism. Against this backdrop, in Pakistan, the power-political elite have always considered the individual interest of least significance and have had tried to squash and override it by emphasising on the elusive and largely intangible concept of ‘national interest’.

This condition has gravely marred the functionality of Pakistani society and its institutions, including the political and state institutions. This gave rise to two macro-sociological trends. Firstly, seeing their interest trampled under the obscure notion of national interest, which mainly has been the interest of the ruling elite and of the clergy, more and more individuals got totally disenchanted with the political and state system. They severed their sense of belonging to the political system and the state, and opted not to participate in any of its activities. Non-participation of the majority in the electoral processes is a case in point. Secondly, innumerable individuals and clusters of individuals, after failing to find institutionalised means to realise their interest and get social justice, developed extremist tendencies. Most of these individuals and groups resort to extremism because they think this is the only way to create conducive conditions, particularly establishing a religious state, which could guarantee realisation of their interests and provision of justice.

The practice, by the Pakistani civilian and military bureaucracy and their allied pseudo political groups and leaders, of disregarding individual interests, created such political-governance structures which could not provide very basic services to the individuals. Having no civic amenities and struck by poverty and economic impoverishment, many individuals join extremist and terrorist groups, which not only provide them a cause to fight for but also some financial assistance.

The ethos of individualism has been in conflict with the existing tribal social structure and collectivist culture prevalent in Pakistan. It is called the biradari-panchayat system in Punjab; wadera system in Sindh; sardari system in Balochistan and outright tribalism in Fata. The collective character of social structure in the tribal areas is most elaborate where the impact of extremism and terrorism has also been the greatest. Elsewhere in Pakistan, the individual has been subjected at different levels to values, norms, likes and dislikes of family, clan, community and the state. These social and legal constraints have had a strong destabilising impact on individuals everywhere as they denied individuals a social space to develop their personalities, come up with their aims and devise ingenious ways and means to make use of their faculties and natural talents so as to pursue their interest through a process of self-expression and self-realisation. In such a society, it is not a surprise that a large number of individuals develop extremist tendencies, distorted personalities and nagging psychological problems, which is typical of contemporary Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2013.

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