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Politics and
Dehumanization
Gian Singh Sandhu, O.B.C.
 5 June 1984
witnessed the unprecedented attack by the Government of India’s
armed forces on Darbar Sahib. The attack on Darbar Sahib coincided
with attack on 39 other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab. Precisely "at
seven o’clock on the evening of 5th June, tanks of the 16th Cavalry
Regiment of the Indian army started moving up to the Golden Temple
complex” write authors Mark Tully and Satish Jacob in their book
titled "Amritsar -Mrs. Gandhi's Last Battle". While the number of
people killed inside the complex is disputed by both sides –the
Sikhs nation and India, Major General Brar, the military officer in
charge of the forces puts the number of worshippers inside the
complex at 5000, in his book, “Operation Blue Star”. John Pike
author of “Sikhs in Punjab” mentions 10,000.
This week in
June also marks a number of other pivotal events in world history.
On
6 June 1944,
after almost a year of special assault and combined operations
training, the allied forces along with 3rd Canadian Infantry
Division commanded by Major Gen. R.O.D. Keller and the 2nd Canadian
Armoured Brigade, led by Brigadier R.A. Wyman landed on the Normandy
coast of France in Operation Overlord. This day is remembered as
‘D-Day’ and was the pivotal moment in World War II that turned the
tide against the Nazis.
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--Your actions seem so sweet to me” is what Guru Arjan Sahib
was reciting when he was made to sit on the burning red-hot iron
plate and burning hot sand was being poured over his head. If we
all learn to “Live by God’s Will”, the world would be a much
more honorable and peaceful place to live and enjoy. |
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On
4 June 1989, the
world woke up to witness the massacre of innocent men and women at
Tian'an'men Square in China. “That may not be the sole atrocity
that had occurred on the square.” writes Zheng Nian, the author of
"Life and Death in Shanghai".
Webster’s
defines dehumanization as “a psychological process by which some
individuals are viewed less than human and thus not deserving of
moral consideration.”
This process is
at play when atrocities are committed either by the States or by
certain individuals and or groups. History provides numerous
examples of peoples and groups using the powers of the state to
reduce targeted groups to a pitiable ‘dehumanized’ state.
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Hitler’s Nazis
did that to the Jews;
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Hutus did that
to the Tutsis in the recent genocide in Rawanda;
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Janjaweed
Arabs are doing that to Darfurians – as we speak;
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Sikhs, Dalits
and other minorities of India have been the victims of this at the
hands of the majority Brahman Hindu governments.
 On closer
examination, we find that the cause behind such a tendency is the
desire to suppress the desire by people of different faiths and
beliefs to be free and equal, which is a basic fundamental of human
dignity.
And what is
wrong with wanting to be free and equal? Is it asking too much?
Expressing the desire to be free is the God-given right for each one
of us and it is not alien to humanity. In the mid-eighteenth
century, the famous French thinker
Jean Jacques
Rousseau wrote, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is
in chains”. Guru Nanak said the same 500 years ago.
At one time, in
the days of slavery, those chains might have been in the form of
iron shackles that put physical restraints on unwilling subjects. In
pre-industrial societies, those in power have used different forms
of ‘fear’ and ‘favour’ to fulfill their own interests. Some means
were obviously shabby, cruel and ‘de-humanizing’.
Modern
governments still rely on the use of fear and favour, but their
means are usually more subtle and sophisticated, and often
invisible, but just as effective as restraints, that put limits on
people’s freedom to think, act or move.
Let me give an
example that the Sikh community is intimately familiar with. Here
in
Canada, Sikhs like all other Canadians, have the freedom to speak
out against the atrocities committed by the Indian, or any other
state. In turn, Indian authorities, routinely, deny visas to those
who do speak out; a subtle but effective lever against those who
wish to visit their places of birth but take issue with the
treatment of Sikhs in India.
Why do the
governments, so often, take extreme measures to repress the rights
of its own citizens? Humans, by nature, enjoy power. Power over
people is viewed to be the highest form of power. It is certainly
true that the human appetite for power is insatiable. Lord Acton
said it more explicitly, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power
corrupts absolutely”.
 In modern
democracies, human societies have relied on the institution of
‘government’, among other things, to guarantee basic Human Rights to
ALL its citizens, without any distinction. To enable the governments
to fulfill their assigned responsibilities, people, voluntarily
signed-over some of their rights, to empower them to restrict the
rights, liberties and freedoms of people, who, infringed on the
natural rights of others.
In other words,
people gave some of their own powers away to their governments and
subjugated themselves to the institutions they created. They did so
with a fond hope that the governments will discharge their assigned
duties in a fair and judicious manner.
People with
vested interests, focused only on acquiring power – by any means,
can easily subvert the political process at community group levels,
and eventually at regional or national levels. This is usually
accomplished by:
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Saying things
that a Special Interest Group likes to hear;
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Making
promises that will earn the support of a large constituency;
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Getting
favorable mention at large community functions or festivities;
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Inducing
popular media to create and highlight a favorable image;
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Learning to
keep constituents quiet or complacent, if not happy.
Acquisition of
power is only the beginning. The next step is staying in power. If
the above strategies prove successful in the first critical stage,
there is every reason to reinforce the same, for continuing success.
On one hand,
technology has eliminated geographical barriers between groups of
people and resulted in what we have begun to call – ‘the global
village’. On the other hand, the same technology has increased the
reach, expanded the zones of influence and broadened the killing
fields of rulers gone berserk.
This is
‘Dehumanization’ of politics and governance.
Fortunately for
the Sikhs, their Guru by word and deed taught them how to deal with
such a situation.
--Your actions seem so sweet to me” is what Guru Arjan Sahib was
reciting when he was made to sit on the burning red-hot iron plate
and burning hot sand was being poured over his head.
If we all learn
to “Live by God’s Will”, the World would be a much more honourable
and peaceful place to live and enjoy.
 (Gian
Singh Sandhu is the founder president and currently the senior
policy advisor of the World Sikh Organisation, based in
Canada.
Well-grounded in Sikh thought, he is a regular contributor to Sikh
religious, social and political issues. An immigrant to Canada in
1970, he acquired an MBA degree and is now the President and CEO of
the Jackpine Group of Industries, which is a pioneer in engineered
wood products. A dynamic entrepreneur, in the year 2002, he was
awarded the Order of
British Columbia.
He may be contacted at gian@jackpinegroup.com)
14
May,
2008
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