In every society, there is a conflict between old traditions and new values. Those who follow and believe in the validity of the old ones argue that these traditions are tried and tested, have developed over time and successfully maintain the structure of the society; therefore, they should not be changed but observed in letter and spirit. According to them, continuity keeps the fabric of society intact while change disrupts and/or breaks it resulting in chaos and anarchy. On the other hand, those who want change in the society point out that the traditions and values are the product of time and space and should be viewed as evolving rather than immutable; new traditions should be constructed according to the need of time.
This conflict divides society into conservative and liberal groups. The conservatives have historical background to protect and argue the case for old traditions while the liberals have future prospects to rest their case upon. As the conservatives derive the legitimacy of their arguments from continuity, people are accustomed to their validity and are often not mentally ready to change.
Generally, traditions derive their validity from the religion which justifies them as an important part of a belief system. The support of the past historical personalities is also brought in their favour. Moreover, the social milieu and the educational system further deepen the importance and need of these traditions. Therefore, to change the mindset of people and to convince them that certain traditions have lost their utility and change is essential for the society is an uphill task.
Sometimes, traditions become the source of tribal, feudal and/or national pride and to challenge them is tantamount to treason. Ruling classes fully use them to protect their privileges and social status. For example, it is tribal and feudal tradition to keep women as subordinate and not allow them to come out of four walls and assert their independence. This is but one example and there are many where tribal leaders and feudal lords use their coercive power against their own people in the name of tradition. Thus, it is in their interests to make traditions sacrosanct.
The followers of new values require intellectual creativity to replace the old ones with the fresh traditions. If they do not have any alternative, mere criticism and condemnation of the old one is not enough. To create alternative traditions, there is a need to not only understand society but to also comprehend the ongoing global situation. It is a difficult task to change mindsets because people are emotionally attached to their old values, customs and practices. In such cases, it becomes a conflict between a rational approach and sentimental behaviour.
Let us now see that what are the old traditions and values in Pakistan which are struggling for their existence, yet still resisting change. And what are the new values which are trying to replace them? Among the old traditions and institutions which are deeply entrenched in our society are religious fundamentalism, tribal customs and practices, feudalism and its cultural hegemony, armed forces and their military and financial domination. Those who are the beneficiaries of these traditions and institutions are in power and are not ready to change or reform them.
On the other hand, the new values which are conflicting with this continuity are democratic movements, liberalism, secularism, socialism, and the process of urbanisation. In this scheme of things, it is fully evident that progressive forces are very weak compare to the conservatives.
Democratic movements are weak because nearly all major political parties are headed by feudal lords or conservatively inclined leaders. They are not interested in changing the structure of society but to readjust by incorporating most of these conservative traditions in the new situation. There is also dynastic politics in these parties which provides no chance to ordinary members of the public to play any role.
Furthermore, liberalism has become a pejorative term. To be a liberal means to free from all moral and ethical values. Therefore, liberal people are pushed outside by the society and referred to sarcastically. Against secularism is such widespread propaganda that people generally believe that it is anti-religion and is not suitable for our society. As far as socialism is concerned, it is regarded as an atheistic ideology which is contrary to religious beliefs.
The last factor which is changing our society is urbanisation and growth of population. A large number of people are coming from the countryside to cities; this movement is transforming them into mega cities. But there is no political party or group that can understand this phenomenon and take advantage of this demographic shift which will have a definitive impact on the socio-political structure of Pakistan. In case of elections, new constituencies would provide new opportunities to those parties whose base is in the cities. However, if conservative parties take advantage, there will be no hope of any change.
As a result of these factors, the picture of our society appears bleak and dark. The conservative forces are too strong to be rooted out from their base. However, there is a little hope that the failure of the conservatives to deliver and the economic plight and misery of people might change the mindset of the common man and there might be a strong movement to resist against outdated values and a struggle to reconstruct society. There may be light at the end of tunnel yet…
The writer is one of the pioneers of alternate history in the country.
