Daily Times

States are for the people and people are for the states. Everything is subservient to these two: the state and the people.

If that is the case, why are some states still underdeveloped and some very well developed? This short article is aimed at understanding the core elements of any state, their true definitions, and people’s expectations. I fully understand that there are no universal definitions of core terminologies in social sciences and therefore these definitions are presented with the hope that academia will discuss and refine them.

One of the widely accepted definitions of state is that it is comprised of territory, and people, and must have legitimacy. I will go with this definition but I am more interested in the management of the state.

One is the government: some people in office, elected by the people in the streets, with an expectation to serve them in a manner worthy of that election.

People across the globe have only one expectation from the officials: respect their opinion.

Two, the courts: some people in the chair, assigned to provide justice to the people at their doorsteps.

Three, the armed forces: some people in uniform, armed with weapons, to provide a sense of security to the people in the streets who are unarmed.

Four, media: people with a camera to provide information based on truth, to the people in the streets who are tuned to their networks.

Some people refer to these elements as the pillars of the state and will immediately point out that I have missed out on the legislature. No, I have not missed them out but only added them to the government. Each state is comprised of these elements and people expect all these elements to deliver for which they are either elected (government) or selected (judiciary, armed forces).

If that is the case then going back to the question of why are some states still underdeveloped and why are the people of those states deprived of the amenities the other states are enjoying.

When Allah designed the universe or this earth in which we are living, He made sure that He equally distributed the natural resources. One might argue that some states are rich in hydrocarbons and some are rich in mineral resources. Rest assured, each state is blessed with numerous resources and it is up to those people who are elected or selected to explore them for their people.

For instance, if the Gulf states are rich in hydrocarbons, they are deficient in manpower, but they made plans to import the required manpower to develop their fields and they are now enjoying the blessed resources. How much are they passing these benefits to the people is debatable due to the form of the government in those states. At least on two accounts (justice and security), they are doing well. Looking into Southeast Asian states, one can say that despite ethnoreligious diversity and dense population, the people are generally satisfied with the performance of their elected and selected officials.

Going to different parts of Africa, one finds that Allah blessed them with numerous resources but these were neither explored properly nor deployed for people’s well-being even after the Colonizers left. South Asia also presents a grim picture where more than 1.6 billion people are living a miserable life, much below the desired level that could be achieved with the blessed resources.

On the other hand, Europe has done exceedingly well when it comes to looking after its people. The same is the case in all other developed states in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and the Scandinavian countries.

So, if the states are not equal today, it is primarily because of the people who were elected or selected to govern that state and care for the well-being of the people and did not do justice to their election and selection.

The people across the globe have only one expectation from the elected and selected officials: respect their opinion, and care for their well-being. The states that fail in these two expectations of the people can never thrive in any domain. Therefore, if the states are to grow, develop, and thrive in a civilized comity, their officials, elected and selected, must care for the people’s choice, and their well-being in all the necessary domains: education, health, environment, security, safety, justice, rule of law, poverty, and job security.

In my opinion, Bismarck’s ‘politics is the art of the possible’ meant that politics must be done to find out the possibilities of reaching out to the people with the amenities that they deserve. Doing politics and coming into high offices is sacred and poses enormous responsibilities on the shoulders of those who have some power to deliver to the people’s expectations.

Remember, Allah destroyed earlier nations where the Rulers did not fulfill their sacred responsibility of just governance. The Rulers or the governments are remembered for their deeds and not the amount of wealth they accumulated while they were in power.

The writer of this article has authored three international books: “Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan” “South Asia Needs Hybrid Peace” and “Understanding Sun Tzu and the Art of Hybrid War.”