Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Everybody Loves Inequality

"If our civilization is destroyed, it will not be by barbarians from below. Our barbarians come from above." ---Henry Demarest Lloyd (1847-1903)

Inequality- is it designed by god or manmade or a result of evolution?

Inequality is universal whether you like it or hate it. Everybody will be subjected to certain type and degree of inequality in his/her lifetime. Inequality may be of social, racial, political, income, gender or other type.

One can find inequality in temples also where only the rich and so called higher caste’ people are allowed nearer to the deity. This is a common phenomenon even in some famous temples of India- the largest democratic country whose constitution provides all types of equality and non-discrimination of any form – on paper. It is heartening to find some ‘highly educated’ people supporting these practices by saying that the poor will steal high value diamonds and gold ornaments, if allowed near the deity.

Leave apart the society. One can find inequality in family’s also. Siblings trying to dominate over one another and feeling of superiority is a common phenomenon.

This inequality which is universal is not by default; it may be by design. This design may be to maintain balance among different species in an ecosystem. Also, we can find imbalances within any species resulting into the domination of stronger over weaker and thus surviving. This is explained by the famous concept of Survival of the fittest.

Inequality also starts with nature in terms of differences in the availability of resources among different regions. These differences in availability of natural resources translate into other types of inequalities. One can easily find the answer by comparing a dry region with one having good rainfall or water resources.

Inequality can be explained in terms of hierarchy-of-order. A country trying to dominate over others and maintain inequality; a state trying to dominate over others within a country; a region trying to dominate over others within a state which finally ends up in the domination of one individual over others in a family.

It’s better not to speak of income inequality which is increasing with globalization and economic growth. Rural-urban divide is also rising in all fronts with rapid urbanization and globalization. It has become fashion for policy makers and also corporates to talk of rural problems without any concrete efforts to solve them.

I feel this inequality is the design of god which human being has loved and nurtured with the help of nature. It has become universal only with the support of human being. It seems that human being loves to maintain inequality with the purpose of having higher status or superiority over his/her fellow beings.


"Nature still obstinately refuses to co-operate by making the rich people innately superior to the poor people." --Sidney and Beatrice Webb (1923)