Social Justice is what we need today

Last night I have been struggling to fall asleep. So since for a long time I was unable to communicate with friends and relative, I decided to make a round of calls to enquire about their lives. In my almost two hours long conversation with more than three families revealed the reality of life in Bangladesh today, the life of hardship for the ordinary men and women.

Over a number of years wealth and prominence of a large number of our folks have changed dramatically to include some extremely successful entrepreneurs massing significant wealth. Cost of living, the standard of life and people’s perception has dramatically changed. Increased cost of living and ever widening gap between poor and rich is creating a dangerous imbalance which is causing enormous shock, hurt and disappointment to many. The people with simple jobs who often took pride in their honesty, integrity and had a dignified life suddenly found themselves at the midst of struggle for survival. No longer being a genuinely honest, dedicated servant of our nation confirms honour and status, nor does it ensure sufficient income to go about life. Even in rural areas where people largely live in their own homes without needing to pay rent and barely requiring much to be bought, people are struggling to cope with the social demands and the increasing affluence of other. Just a quick look at some of the aspects of life will reveal why people are in constant struggle with their lives. Previously, schools and colleges largely ensured education of some standard with little needs for private tuition. Now a day the standard of education in the rural areas and even in urban areas are largely non-existent unless it happens to be one of the private schools. So not only people are having to send their children to expansive schools in order to ensure a good quality education for their own children, they are also resorting to private tuition costing fortune so their children can stay ahead of the competition. Along with come the modern phenomenon such as mobile phone and other necessary ingredients for living. When you combined all the costs, you soon discover that the cost of living is already beyond rich for many professionals and it is a miracle to see that still most people are surviving. The problem of course has been that in one hand it is causing disappointment, resentment and frustration to a large number of populations causing family and social problems, but also driving a significant portion of our population accepting illicit means as acceptable way to better their lives. Crime thus grows from strength to strength winning over hearts and minds of ever increasing numbers. Crime here of course includes exploitation, grafting, extortion and all other activities with equivalent affect.

This morning when I was driving along the busy M6 motorway, I was heart broken to hear once again the misery and sufferings of ‘young carers’ in England. Young people who are giving up their childhood in order to care for others in their family, often parents and siblings. Life for them is a continuous battle to survive each day under tremendous pressure. Most of these young people are coping extremely well thanks to their fighting and resilient nature and strong personality to cope in extreme circumstances. Some of course find the whole thing overwhelming and often decides to take their own lives. More importantly however, they are not merely giving up their childhood and all the joy and excitement out there to enjoy, they are also missing out on necessary and important education which they so badly need if to flourish in future career market. Many of these pupils are singled out at schools for poor performance, bullying and all sorts of trouble. As someone working with young people, it is difficult to claim that we understand and cater for the needs of such children. As a result where we should have been celebrating their courage and determination, their bravery and goodwill and set them as role model to rest of our growing up generation, we end up stereotyping, ignoring and failing these very able children. So when they grow up, they would therefore be feeling vulnerable, often frustrated at life. Most shockingly though, it seems despite some major overhaul, government is still failing to offer essential support that they desperately need.

The two stories are from to totally different countries; one is the tail of life in Bangladesh, one of the poorest nations in the world while other is of lives from the fourth Economy of the world, United Kingdom. Both essentially high light the increasing and ever growing injustices and inequality that our society still nurtures. It is true that economically societies have made tremendous progress with more people in employment and ever larger number of people being lift out of poverty, what is also true is that the gap between rich and poor is on the rise and show now sign of narrowing. Increasingly, a pattern is also emerging that the poverty and destitution of many due to reasons beyond the hands of the sufferers are often being over looked. Society increasingly looks down on those who are struggling to make a living. Take Bangladesh, increasingly people are living in relative prosperity, yet naked poverty in extreme form survives next to the extreme riches without them ever crossing path in sympathy. A very few people with huge wealth feels these days that they have responsibility towards the poor, to make our society more equal and just.

So in the end, we no longer just remain in the discussion of imbalance that exists between rich and poor, we come down to the conclusion that there is also an increasing erosion of social values where everyone feels responsible for one another and pulls all the string at their level best to change the dynamic of modern society. No longer is it the concern of riches that the poverty, inequality and appalling conditions of lives for many affects them and they need to actively seek to change that condition. We no longer think in terms of ‘us’, but increasingly we think of ‘mine’.

Going back to the life in Bangladesh, much has been said about the success and goodness of the current interim government. Despite the high regards, integrity and honour that the members of this government enjoy, I was never under the illusion that they are no miracle for our nation’s problem. As much as they may be sincere, honest and committed, they represent the very injustice of our society. Almost all member of the administration are successful people with enormous achievements in life. They live in affluence, in modern and highly sought life style. Some of them have had international recognition and career; a few spent much of their professional life outside Bangladesh. In the world that they have lived in, everything is systematic, orderly and available on demand. There enforcement of law was a necessary and relatively easy task. It seems that the experience of their lives in environments totally ‘uncomparable’ to that of Bangladesh’s general environment. Grief and anger is in no short supply generating from the policies and steps taken by this government. It is easy to argue that corruption and criminalities must be challenged and perpetrators be brought to justice, but the reality on the ground is not so simple. Life in Bangladesh is a complex one and any attempt of eliminating ‘criminals’ affects adversely the life of innocent people who pay heavy price. We need to reform the mindset of the people, to create condition where they understand that it is possible to live life without being involve in crime, it is perfectly possible to shine in life through legal means. We need to reassure people that the path those involve in crime takes is one of danger and wholly unnecessary. Unless we understand the reasons and motives that have driven so many into crime, unless we take a rationed view of the whole situation, have a full grasp of the impact any such drive against crime, we will not be able to understand the enormity of the challenge. And Until that happens, in the name of freeing people from criminality, from the grips of mindless thugs and power hungry self-proclaimed leaders, we are making lives of ordinary citizens even harder. And this brings me to the point that I always believed which is, despite all the goodwill of whole world, one shall not be able to make a difference in any environment unless they themselves are part of that environment. Our politicians, however corrupt and criminalised they may be, are from the ordinaries, they mingle if at least only at election time, with the people of all kind from the society. They see the pain and sufferings go the people first hand. Our current government may be a collection of the best of people, but little do they have in common with the ordinary people of wider Bangladesh. Little do they understand the cruelty, humility and unjust nature of life in struggle.

We need to get grips of the society in terms of the challenges ahead. We need to understand the gravity, the magnitude of all the problems and look carefully into the probable solutions, weighing the pros and cons of each option. But above all, we need to give a sense of responsibility to the society, the affluent and successful people of our country. We need to create a value based nation driven by the principles of equality and social justice.
9th May, Birmingham, UK