While I was reading theories on sociology and personality development, I came across the theory of Social Justice which is considered a hallmark in the field of social psychology. The founder of the theory John Rawls states “This original position… is understood as a purely hypothetical situation characterized so as to lead to a certain conception of justice. Among the essential features of this situation is that no one knows his place in society, his class position or social status, nor does anyone know his fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence, strength, and the like. I shall even assume that the parties do not know their conceptions of the good or their special psychological propensities. The principles of justice are chosen behind a ‘veil of ignorance.’”
Applying the same theory of justice to Pakistani society, it is observed that experienced people with power or having connections with the powerful are more important for every other individual or institution in society. Being powerful is a shield that protects from atrocities and injustice going around. For example, electricity deduction penalties are always mistakenly (they say) issued to common households, never to house of MNA or any bureaucrat. The robbers will never break into the house of a landlord to steal. Gangsters will never kidnap powerful people for ransom and so on.
On the other hand, some people use not only use power to protect themselves from atrocities but also use it as a shield to their illegal moves. The FIR will not be registered so easily even if the heinous crime is carried out by someone powerful to a common person. Sahiwal case is before us, in which CTD killed people in cold blood and the court set them free. The case of Naqeebullah Mehsood is still pending in the court. These are few high profile cases of apparent injustice, thousands will be more which are not reported by media. Talking more on power implications, usually a doctor I public hospital does not check patients seriously until he knows the patient is himself a powerful person or has an association with the same. The sweeper would not come to clean the street until he knows there is someone powerful living the street. A society, who fears powerful & respects the money, at the same time, suppresses the poor and frightens the less powerful.
If the “veil of ignorance” is applied, then everyone treats every other person equally, without considering their social class, status, richness, colors or skin, religious & political affiliations. But with due respect, the theory of social justice does not apply practically. We are hardly a society today, people are more divided on the basis of provinces, languages, religious sects, political affiliation, & hence, they treat one another with their biased bent of minds. Justice here is compromised at all levels.
The concept of social justice is of utmost importance in Islam, Hazrat Ali quoted “Society can survive with infidelity but not with injustice” Our Holy Prophet said: “A moment of justice is better than seventy years of worship in which you keep fasts and pass the nights in offering prayers and worship to Allah”. (Jami’us Sa’adat, vol. II, p. 223), He also said “no Arab is superior to non-Arab, no white is superior to black”.
Social Justice keeps people intact in the system. Its absence creates disharmony and chaos in society. If anyone does injustice, it comes back to him in one way or another, whatever goes around, it finally comes around.
What a graceful society it will become if everyone here treats every other with respect and deliver justice by applying “veil of ignorance”. We must not only deliver justice but also stop injustices to the extent we can as Imam Hussain said “And those who are silent when others are oppressed are guilty of oppression themselves”
The writer is a PhD scholar in Business Administration at Dongbei University of Finance & Economics, China.