“Unveiling Power Dynamics: Traversing Colonial and Neo-Colonial Mindsets”
“Your rights? Listen nigger ! according to this world you have the inalienable right to life ” Death on monkey Mountain . The right to life is the basic human right that has been considered as a demand in colonial erra because the colonials were habitual of exercising their powers upon colonized people. In the attempt to excersie power , colonials suppressed the rights of colonized brutally .Untill and unless ,they hadn’t exercise power they wouldn’t be egoistically satisfied for being a superior. This has been discussed as a major theme in post colonial literature but unfortunately the power has been the major influence of human . Many writers have crticised this approach but still it’s prevalent in the society .So in this blog we will discuss the prevalent colonial and neo colonial mindset despite of the present descontruction of colonial narrative through literature
” it takes six months to turn a memsahib into a pukka memsahib.'” A passage to India . This dialogue depicts the situation that it takes very less time for a normal person to submerge in the colonial mindset and once he gets submerged in that mindset , he starts exercising his authority to show his power . The colonials even after leaving the colonies , have their imprints upon the people . The colonized despite of giving freedom to everyone, started to divide and exercise power in the same way . In our country from buearorcracy till military every institution exercises it’s power on country , and the individuals belonging to these institution exercise their power on public. Writers like tony Morrison , Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Joseph Conrad deconstructed those power narratives in their novels long time ago but our society failed to deconstruct those power structures rather than it adopted them and promoted them as well
In Pakistan the mindset of the students who aim for CSS and PMS is constructed on the basis of “exercise of power ” despite of ” serving of the state” . It can be sheer witnessed when public observe specific protocols which are provided to them alongside their duty . Such aora and grandeur is none other than imitation of colonial mindset which is neither demand of the job nor required by the state . The politicians working in our parliaments primarily aim for accquiring the power protocols associated with their post as recently it came into public eye that son of a minister was caught driving government issued vehicle without a license for some private purpose .
Colonial perspective of class system has been crticised by everyone but no one was influential enough to implement equality. In addition too , we have our own models which should be followed as it’s is reported that in the erra of Hazrat umer ( R.A) oaths were taken from the government officials that they won’t indulge themselves in levish lifestyles and if upon accountability , if something excessive beyond known was found it was returned to Bait Ul maal and that official had to face severe trial and punishment for his actions . We must shift the mindset of society,the day when a authoritative person will use powers within limit , without any bias for our beloved country that day we will begin a culture, literal and historical revolution towards equality
Equality asserts itself when the disparate actively embrace it. To obliterate the neo-colonial mindset from our society, we must demand unwavering accountability from every government official for their actions. Moreover, instilling models from history, literature, and diverse societies at every educational tier becomes imperative, cultivating a generation keenly attuned to notions of freedom, governmental duty, and fundamental rights.
Junaid Ahmed Khattak
junaidahmadkhattak7@gmail.com
Comments are closed.