Feudalism in Pakistan

"It has been 63 years and this country is still in the hands of feudal".
 'Jagirdar' is what they are called in Urdu. 'Vadera' in Sindhi. 'Malik' and 'Chaudries' are what they are called in Pushtu and Punjabi respectively. In a country where the feudals control the land, the idea of democracy is a sham.

Individualism is an essential ingredient of democracy. A man has to become free from all chains and allowed to vote according to his will and demand. In a feudal culture this can never happen; people are treated like born slaves and constituencies are miniature kingdoms.

Everyone kingdom has a supreme head and no one dares the higher excellence. People working under the king are called mazaris. These people are given essential food and clothing. No education is given, which in case might help in bringing a revolution. There are private Jails present and constitution is what the king demands. This system is gaining strength with the passage of time. It has became a huge hegemony and like a incurable disease it is eating us.

The reason for such a strong and formidable feudal system dates back to the creation of Pakistan. On the 14th of August 1947 the subcontinent was decolonized and two independent states India and Pakistan came into existence. On the Indian side, in was clearly known that the Congress party would never tolerate a feudal India. The first step which Pundit Jawalnar Nehru, the first prime minister of India, took was to abolish feudalism. All land was now controlled be the government of India. There were no miniature kingdoms present and hence India was saved from the scars of a feudal culture.

The situation on the Pakistani side was different. Firstly, Muslim League had no a priori plan to rule the country. Secondly, a majority of Muslim League members were feudal lords themselves. These feudal lords later became part of the Pakistani political elite. They got access into the parliament and hence became legislators. No legislation was ever passed which may reduce the power of a feudal. Infact, they became the demi-gods of their regions.

Today, the situation is no different. Nepotism and politics of inheritance is the norm of the day. Constituencies are family businesses. A daughter wins on a specific seat while her uncle wins from an adjacent constituency. The co-commander of the region, in some cases, can also be from the same family.

This is the state of affairs and how Pakistan is ruled. I think this system is never going to change.

 The following is an example of the prevailing feudal culture:

























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