राज, समाज और हिंसा

Summary

The text examines the paradox of rising violence in India despite increased economic prosperity and reduced colonial oppression. It argues that post-independence, while material conditions improved and the fear of state repression diminished, violence has not decreased. The author contends that contemporary violence is not a result of poverty or technology, but stems from a failure of the state to establish a genuine dialogue with society. Groups, feeling humiliated and empowered, resort to violence because the state has not maintained a meaningful connection with them. The text traces a history of violent episodes from the Partition riots, the Telangana movement, and the Razakar insurgency, to later conflicts in Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura, and Punjab. It argues that these conflicts, both ancient and modern, are fundamentally about one group’s desire for dominance over another, not about poverty. The author asserts that poverty is often a consequence of violence, not its cause, and that some forms of poverty are chosen for ideals. True violence-driven poverty occurs when one group strips another of its cultural and political rights. The text concludes by invoking Gandhi’s view of India’s inherently non-violent culture, where non-violence is a central tenet of its worldview, despite the historical occurrence of wars and conflicts.