Debate A role for middle class
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Sports
  • Business
  • More
    • RSS in News
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Sports
  • Business
  • More
    • RSS in News
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • RSS in News
  • Subscribe
Home General

Debate A role for middle class

Archive Manager by WEB DESK
Apr 24, 2005, 12:00 am IST
in General
Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement chairman Sohail Abro

Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement chairman Sohail Abro

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterTelegramEmail

b>
By Surya Narain Saxena

Generally two conflicting views prevail in the society about the role and character of the middle class. One is that the middle class is the backbone of humanity everywhere in the world and is the harbinger, catalyst and agent of change and custodian of morality. The other one is just the opposite. The middle class is only vocal, corrupt and corrupting, exploitative, self-seeking, do-nothing, ever-grievancing and change-resistant. While much can be said on both sides and historical and contemporary evidence produced and arguments advanced to press each premise, the former appears less convincing and more aggrandising and the latter more realistic and truthful, especially in the present context.

The middle class is that it wants many things?money, comforts, entertainment, prestige and above all, a clean environment and good government?all at once on a platter. But anything in return? Probably none. It negates the ever true ?demand and duty? relationship which holds the mankind together and the disregard for which creates the aberrations we witness and suffer from all around.

Many in our times and country think the middle class is the harbinger of change and morality but it denied the opportunity to play its role in full. But the contention is not supported by facts. For example by their social status, the founders of modern scientific socialism, Mare and Engels, themselves belonged to the bourgeois intelligentsia. Similarly in India leaders of the freedom struggle like Sir Surendranath Banerjee, W. C. Banerjee, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, M.G. Ranade, Bipin Chandra Pal, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Jawahar Lal Nehru?all belonged to amender or high-fee lawyer families.

Download Organiser App

The middle class wants everything on a platter: popularity, money, resources, tickets for elections, without striving and perspiring for the same. A strong will and hard work is the first and foremost requisite for climbing the ladder of politics or governance.

We all, specially the middle class, complain of all-pervading corruption in public and personal life, but we can not trace the beginning and end of corruption, and probably none can. The genetics of corruption or bribe is like generation and circulation of blood within the human body. For example, small entrepreneurs complain of ?inspector raj? arguing they can'tlive without bribing the inspectors. Ask an inspector and he would blurt that businessmen are thieves. They share a part of their booty with us willingly in order to hide the rest. Look both the giver and taker of bribe belongs to the middle class. The inspector along with his widespread ilk forms the self-centred, self-seeking consumerist society, about which one can say: It has eyes but it doesn'tsee; it has ears but it doesn'tfeel.

Days of poverty-driven crimes are gone. Leave aside some petty carriers, pickpockets or burglars, the real criminals?the big or kingpins belong to a well-to-do class or families, who are armed with sophisticated weapons, move about in shining cars (maybe stolen) and are equipped with latest cell phones, cameras, scanners, printers and the intelligence required to plan and execute crime in a big way. Economic crimes like smuggling, drug trafficking, adulteration, faking, boot-legging, tax evasion and bribery carry no stigma or social taboo. Where does the bulk of economic criminals come from or who forms the backbone of economic crimes? Isn'tit the middle class?

It was probably the late President Kennedy of the USA who once said, ?Don'task what America has done for me, ask what I have done for America.? Our own respected President Kalam has more than once echoed the same message. This question is the test of our middle-class worthiness for its role in governance and politics.

Mahatma Gandhi believed that there is no social work without political work and no political work without social work. We find a virtual femine of social workers in the country. While the unlimited scope of social service exists all around, one need not give up his job or profession and become a sanyasi. He can start from his gali or mohalla by keeping it clean and be popular as an honest doer. But how many young men and women, even highly educated and accomplished, have any inclination for doing something for others? Some abhor the very idea of social work or moving out of their cosy homes as one below their dignity and status and others, a majority, have no time for this. In these conditions, the vacant space in social work and politics is occupied by ?scoundrels?. Who is responsible for criminalisation of politics? Surely the ease-loving middle-class as somebody has said, ?it is not the activity of bad people but the inactivity of good people that harms the society most?.

Unfortunately, the middle class wants everything on a platter: popularity, money resources, tickets for elections, without striving and perspiring for the same. A strong will and hard work is the first and foremost requisite for climbing the ladder of politics or governance. ?Resources first?, is the wrong end to begin with. These will follow, since sincere and selfless social endeavour has never been killed for lack of resources but for want of will, idealism, spirit of sacrifice on the part of workers. Let the sharif aadami (gentleman) come forward and fight for space; the criminals and undesirable will be pushed out of politics and governance, if not today, then tomorrow, the day after or another day after.

ShareTweetSendShareSend
Previous News

Sangh SamacharShri Guruji earned universal respect? ?H.V. Seshadri

Next News

Sangh Samachar

Related News

Tamil Nadu: DMK government’s attempt to demolish a temple halted by Hindu Unity

Tamil Nadu: DMK government’s attempt to demolish a temple halted by Hindu Unity

Madrassa students vandalise Hindu temple in Bangladesh for objection on playing football around temple

Madrassa students vandalise Hindu temple in Bangladesh for objection on playing football around temple

Resolutions on the Eve of Azadi  ka Amrit Mahotsav

Resolutions on the Eve of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

Kerala CM helped UAE terrorist to escape: Swapna Suresh

Kerala CM helped UAE terrorist to escape: Swapna Suresh

China goes ballistic over Taiwanese skies

China goes ballistic over Taiwanese skies

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Time to Reclaim Our National Selfhood

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Time to Reclaim Our National Selfhood

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

Tamil Nadu: DMK government’s attempt to demolish a temple halted by Hindu Unity

Tamil Nadu: DMK government’s attempt to demolish a temple halted by Hindu Unity

Madrassa students vandalise Hindu temple in Bangladesh for objection on playing football around temple

Madrassa students vandalise Hindu temple in Bangladesh for objection on playing football around temple

Resolutions on the Eve of Azadi  ka Amrit Mahotsav

Resolutions on the Eve of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

Kerala CM helped UAE terrorist to escape: Swapna Suresh

Kerala CM helped UAE terrorist to escape: Swapna Suresh

China goes ballistic over Taiwanese skies

China goes ballistic over Taiwanese skies

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Time to Reclaim Our National Selfhood

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Time to Reclaim Our National Selfhood

Kapil Sibal’s “no hope left” statement about Indian judiciary “contemptuous”: Bar Association

Kapil Sibal’s “no hope left” statement about Indian judiciary “contemptuous”: Bar Association

Delhi Court sends ISIS active member Mohsin Ahmad to NIA custody till August 16

Delhi Court sends ISIS active member Mohsin Ahmad to NIA custody till August 16

Is Pakistan going the Sri Lankan way?

Is Pakistan going the Sri Lankan way?

CWG 2022: PV Sindhu’s clinches first gold for India in Badminton, also her first CWG gold in women’s singles

CWG 2022: PV Sindhu’s clinches first gold for India in Badminton, also her first CWG gold in women’s singles

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping Policy

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • Special Report
  • Sci & Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Education
  • Books
  • Interviews
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Obituary
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Refund and Cancellation

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies