Essay
Is colonial mentality impeding Pakistan’s progress
Outline
1.Introduction
Thesis statement: Colonial mentality is absolutely impeding Pakistan’s progress
2. What colonial mentality is
(i) Defining the term “Colony”
(ii) Defining the term “Mentality”
(ii) Interpretation of the term “Colonial mentality”
3. Ruling strategies of British masters—cause of present day colonial mentality in Pakistan
(i) Political and administrative strategies
(a) Divide and rule policy
(b) Genocide of ruling and politically strong leaders along with families and relatives
(c) Kept ordinary local masses away from politics for decades
(d) Introduction of democratic system of government—Discrimination with minorities
(e) Production of administrative elite class
(ii) Religious strategies
(a) Campaigns of Christian Missionaries throughout India for religion conversion
(b) Targeted lowest class Hindus and Muslims by providing educational and medical benefits
(iii)Economic and Financial strategies
(a) Drainage of subcontinental resources and riches—retardation of economy
(b) Common man was forced to think about fetching basic necessities of life only
(c) Focus on revenue collection
(iv) Socio-Cultural strategies
(a) Production of class system i.e. elite, middle class and poor—rewarded on the basis of loyalty with colonial masters
(b) English perceived as language of elite and powerful ruling class was made compulsory to get high level government job
(c) No culture of freedom of expression
(d) Lack of rule of law
(e) Discriminatory judiciary
(f) No attention towards social development
4. Impacts of colonial mentality-impeded progress of present day Pakistan
(i) political and administrative impacts
(a) Elites, feudal lords and clergy consider ruling their birth right
(b) Continuous military intervention in politics—reason of failure of democratic system
(c) Administrative elite class—no relief for ordinary individual
(d) Division on the basis of religion, sects, castes, provinces, ethnicity—divide and rule policy
(e) Culture of corruption, bribery and zero accountability—retarding Pakistan
(f) Nepotism and red tapism—adherence to colonial rules and procedures
(g) Suppression of voice of common man—lack of freedom of expression leading to public aggression
(ii) Religious impacts
(a) Influence of clergy—illiterate people blindly follow them generation after generation
(a) Division on the basis of religion—strategy to weaken national integration
(c) Promotion of sectarianism—creation of diversion for common man to keep them away from national affairs
(iii) Financial and economic impacts
(a) Unfair taxation system—same tax rates for rich and poor
(b) Discriminatory financial policies make rich richer and poor poorer
(c) Money laundering—turning black money into white and hoarding it in foreign banks
(d) Focus of ruling class on increasing personal wealth—looting of public money
(e) Financially retarded economy—country running on foreign loans with deficit budget
(iv) Socio-Economic impacts
(a) Socially sick society with superiority complex
(b) Supremacy of English language-causing rift in national unity
(c) Reluctant to change—adaptation of modernization
(d) Partial judiciary and prolonged judicial procedure—justice delayed is justice denied
(e) Absence of rule of law—Denial of human rights to common man
5. The way forward—Steps towards developed Pakistan
(i) Rule of law must prevail
(ii) Fair and just accountability culture
(iii) Curbing corruption, nepotism, bribery and red tapism
(iv) Independent judiciary and police
(v) No military intervention in politics
(vi) End of ruling era of feudal lords and clergy
(vii) Equal opportunities for all and sundry
(viii) Promotion of nationalism—national unity leads towards progress
(ix) End of black money businesses, money laundering and stoppage of drainage of country resources as well as financial assets
(x) Self-reliant economy
(xi) Acceptance of positive change confidently
6. Conclusion