The Unremitting divide sensation is all pervasive and may not even settle after many outstanding issues are apparently resolved as the roots of societal problems run much deeper than perceived and described. The signs of unsettling and deeply divided perceptions between the ruling segments and the rational elements inside the polity are blatantly ominous and they are bursting at the seams. The interpretation assigned to this phenomenon is that the controlling segments have created a collective defensive mechanism whereby the installed civil dispensation will be seen as playing the role of opposition practically diluting the impact of outside opposition. This may certainly be a theory and it may not be as outlandish as it seems but such arrangements go against the grain of history that tells a different tale and it is also witness to the fact that such tactics usually unravel sooner than later.
However it may be interpreted but the fact remains that Pakistani polity is deeply beset with growing intolerance that is undermining the positive aspects of this important national exercise as was witnessed by the recent happenings in respect of religious protests. The most worrying part of this intolerant strain unfortunately is that it is gaining in substance in direct proportion to the maturity gained by the society. The danger is that both these strands have the potential of cancelling the impact of each other that may result in long term loss to the national matrix of Pakistan.
It is now recognised that the surest way of inculcating rational sense into the gradually maturing thinking patterns of an individual is education laced with appropriate training. The deep divide between the arbitrary and plural segments of socio-political matrix brings to fore that both parties involved in one of the most unlikely change of strategy were educated in the literal sense of the word but they showed no sign of being trained in social chores. The divergence in their views is enormous that looks unbridgeable in the current scenario as it pertains to the basic gulf in their respective perceptions of the state.
The main reason for the growing gulf between these two segments is that the dominant segment views itself as more advanced than the other and more importantly, that the other segment has grudgingly conceded its inferiority. If examined dispassionately the main reason for the other segment throwing in the towel was the primary status of the dominant segment during the colonial times and followed it up in Pakistan. It does not necessarily mean that it is more qualified to manage the national affairs as is evident by the problems now confronting the country.
The most important way to reverse the current imbalance is to start re-emphasising that knowledge of social traditions is far more superior than just dominance through employing state resources. The local traditions and social practices should once again be placed at the forefront of the national affairs and the notion that one segment is better trained may be given up realising that the socio-political matters are usually long-winded and cannot be kept in the narrow confines of disciplined conduct. Civil management of affairs is globally messy but since it is pluralistic in content therefore it fulfills the needs of the majority of people. This consideration should never be sacrificed on the altar of regimented and short-term policies.
The increasing gap between the perceptions of both the national segments has resulted in rising levels of intolerance that has created a chaotic atmosphere in the country and it now appears that all quarters directly or indirectly associated with it may have lost control of their protagonists. The problem however is that such quarters do not have an exit strategy therefore the situation has the potential of getting more complicated. Many rational voices have been advocating restraint but the radical agenda gained ascendance and its reigning supreme now. The situation is fast hurtling towards a stage where no force would be able to decisively rectify matters. This is a sure recipe for letting extraneous forces to follow their respective agenda considered detrimental for Pakistani national interest.
The analysis of the history of the country brings to fore the fact that the nation has endured four decades of almost incessant turmoil and its resilience is bursting at the seams. It is too much to expect that a besieged polity can bear adversity interminably and retain its psychological harmony. Pakistani polity is long recognised as suffering from deep scars of incoherence and its cumulative social behaviour is far from normal. It is often observed that Pakistani national perception is in direct contrast with rest of the world and the most worrying aspect is that the nation, as a whole, is not prepared to alter its convoluted thought-process. The time is fast running out for retrieving the situation but there appears to be no sign of rectifying the state of affairs. TW
