"Crimes of Hate in a developing country"

 

An annoying wake up alarm – (and if that’s not loud enough) – a deafening argument between the wife and the housemaid – followed by a never ending journey to work through the metropolitan traffic – only to encounter an ever frowning boss right at the entrance - of a negatively charged workplace - placed right next to a disoriented set of colleagues - working for a team that is always swamped with poor standard projects – back home to an ever discontented wife – and an unhappy self.

A typical itinerary for almost everyday

Unpleasantness Quotient

This state of unhappiness and un-fulfillment is measured by the ‘unpleasantness quotient’ that arises when, even after a healthy financial situation one continues to remain in a state of dissatisfaction, and ultimately develops a resenting attitude. In a developing and a growing country, personal income unquestionably rises too. But if this economic development ends up in a creation of a pessimistic society, does that make all the effort worthwhile?

Concept of modernization

According to Fred Riggs, it is the ‘developmental gap’ between the economically privileged and the under privileged that is the biggest challenge for administration in a developing country.  This gap is further unsettled, when a backward society struggles to deal with ‘modernization’ – a concept which means bringing about a ‘social change’ together with the ‘economic development’.

The cycle of economic development for a country may probably be about a 100 years long. But it is much shorter than the cycle of ‘social development’ – a factor of many interdependent variables in a culture. The simultaneity of both results in emergence of a ‘hybrid society’ that on the contrary, starts to overlook the importance of social change in the pursuit of economic development. It is a situation where modernization actually results in conception of a ‘Zombie’ culture - where people become focused on self-development rather than community development - where one man’s loss is another man’s gain – Where everyone hates everyone.

Egocentricity and Self centrism

An ego centric person is the one who disregards others’ perspectives and beliefs. In a country with myriad ethnicities and religions, small ethnic ego centric groups are treacherous to a harmonious coexistence. These are the economically thriving groups of individuals who on one hand claim all benefit of the collective growth in a country, but reject a widespread social change on the other hand, creating a barrier to a country level social development. They dwell on their gullible ethnic followers and misanthropically alienate a significant population from the evolution. Dealing with such groups can be extremely challenging for a federal republic that is extremely presidential at the local level.

At individual level, self centrism takes cues from ego centrism. The individual loses sight of a symbiotic living and becomes parasitic i.e. it feeds on collective growth but returns nothing. For example - A traffic policeman who accepts bribe for releasing a traffic violator, or a bureaucrat who passes a project in return of a huge favor, does not amount to a collective growth.

A very few could continue to pursue honesty and optimism in such a situation. The rest will simply develop resentment against the system.

Public loathing

Do you get almost sickened by the fact that there are too many people sharing too little resources?

We detest other people – especially where one world chooses not to contribute to the public money at all. The extent to which this feeling of ‘hatred’ persists in our minds, against this part of the world is beyond belief. To add to it, there is no way one can identify the tax criminals.

‘Hate’ is an emotion that runs through almost everyone, but is verbally expressed the most by anyone who has ever driven a car in a metropolitan city (read: road rage). It is in the form of the reluctance that we often demonstrate to the accident struck on roads (read: ‘Bystander apathy’). It is the ‘unhealthy mindset’ through which we perceive everyone else as a ‘potential rival’ to our very survival, whether at work (read: corporate rivalry), at home or in life as such which undermines every possible sensibility that one has an option to pursue.

In a country of limited means and massive economic disparities, the queue is a long one outside a public office, on a job portal, for admissions to a state hospital, school/college enrolments or for a service’s seat. Running out of patience is easy. Anger, frustration and hate is inevitable. 

Oppression of the weaker components of the society that followed the former caste system has evolved today, taking the crime against weaker sections of the society to entirely a different level, especially in case of women.

Crimes against women

Women are treated unequally invariably in every part of the country for all forms of nutritional, educational and developmental opportunities. According to National Crime Records Bureau, The dowry death statistics work out to ‘1 death every hour’. Unlike popular belief, rapes and gang-rapes are also social crimes and not sexual crimes that are committed as conditional strategies employed by men to ‘keep women in their place’. Especially, Gang-rapes where the pleasure inundated is twice and the responsibility of the crime diffused.

Even political leaders often overlook that the key to the economic growth lies in the development of a better world for women. Focus on this 50 percent of the world can unlock the full economic potential of a country, strengthen productivity, stimulate demand and boost growth.

Summary

To sum up, the biggest evil in a developing society is the inception of a ‘value system’ based on reckless virtues. It is important to stick to the values of humanity, love and equality, as the same will get transferred onto the forthcoming generations. The idea is to measure growth in terms of GDP, life expectancy, literacy and levels of employment and also in terms of the less-tangible factors such as mutual love and harmony, safety and freedom from fear of physical harm, gender equality and the extent of participation in civil society.

Such socio-economic community development is the key to a better country, a ‘hate-free’ society and a far less unpleasantness quotient for the day.