By Gurnam Singh | Opinion |
Almost as far back as I can remember, I have disliked elitism and snobbish attitudes associated with it. I am not talking about good manners or valuing of education, but an attitude where some believe themselves to be naturally superior to others. Maybe because I grew up in socially deprived working class communities, though I definitely was jealous of people who I saw as being privileged, I also had a contempt for the clear systemic inequalities and sheer greed that perpetuated elitism.
My contempt for ‘elitism’ does not deny the fact that some people can display exceptional qualities. Indeed, in every field, from education to science, sports, music, arts, performance, chess and skateboarding, there are individuals who, through lots of effort and some good fortune, develop amazing abilities. Neither is my opposition to elitism a plea for mediocrity. My argument is simply against an elitism that is associated with a form of inherited status. That is to say a status that is derived not through invididual effort and endeavour, but as a consequence of privilege, good fortune and symbolism.
As the sociologist C. Wright Mills notes in his book, The Power Elite published in 1956, those people who benefit from all kinds of privileges and advantages refuse to acknowledge this. “They come readily to define themselves as inherently worthy of what they possess; they come to believe themselves ‘naturally’ elite; and, in fact, to imagine their possessions and their privileges as natural extensions of their own elite selves.”
On the other hand there are those people who have to struggle against the odds. To illustrate my point, consider arguably the two greatest living footballers that we had the privilege to watch in the recent World Cup final, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Nobody can deny they belong to a sporting elite, but both come from poor humble roots. They have achieved their ‘elite’ status inspite of, not because of, their social background. This is in contrast to the traditional class of ‘elites’ who most probably reflect the spectrum of abilities, though their assumed elite status will suffice to pass as being elite!
Much of Guru Nanak Ji’s life and writing was concerned with confronting the power and bigotry of the elites, from the Mogul rulers to the landowners and priestly classes. He led a crusade against the caste system which, because of religious sanctions and ideology, was seen as a natural divinely ordained fixed essence. In the following shabad, his condemnation of elitism, in the form of millennia old caste based hierarchies, is about as direct as one can be. Amongst other things, Nanak can be seen as a public intellectual who, like Socrates, sought to highlight the corruption, hypocrisy of the prevailing system of elitism and patronage.
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Siree Raag, First Mehla:
ਲੇਖੈ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਲੇਖੈ ਖਾਣਾ ਖਾਉ ॥
For a limited time, people speak their words and they consume their food.
ਲੇਖੈ ਵਾਟ ਚਲਾਈਆ ਲੇਖੈ ਸੁਣਿ ਵੇਖਾਉ ॥
For a limited time, they walk along the way, they see and hear.
ਲੇਖੈ ਸਾਹ ਲਵਾਈਅਹਿ ਪੜੇ ਕਿ ਪੁਛਣ ਜਾਉ ॥੧॥
For a limited time, they draw their breath. Why do I need and ask the scholars about this? ||1||
ਬਾਬਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਰਚਨਾ ਧੋਹੁ ॥
O my fellow human being, the splendor of falsehood is deceptive.
ਅੰਧੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਨਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਏਹ ਨ ਓਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The blind person has forgotten the divine truth; he is in limbo, neither here nor there. ||1||Pause||
ਜੀਵਣ ਮਰਣਾ ਜਾਇ ਕੈ ਏਥੈ ਖਾਜੈ ਕਾਲਿ ॥
Life and death come to all who are born. Everything here gets devoured by Death.
ਜਿਥੈ ਬਹਿ ਸਮਝਾਈਐ ਤਿਥੈ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਚਲਿਓ ਨਾਲਿ ॥
Where life is being critically evaluated, no one is prepared to co-operate.
ਰੋਵਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਜੇਤੜੇ ਸਭਿ ਬੰਨਹਿ ਪੰਡ ਪਰਾਲਿ ॥੨॥
Those who weep and wail but spend their whole life in material desires . ||2||
ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਆਖੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਘਟਿ ਨ ਆਖੈ ਕੋਇ ॥
Everyone demands more and more material possessions from you (God), not body asked for less.
ਕੀਮਤਿ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਪਾਈਆ ਕਹਣਿ ਨ ਵਡਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
No one has reflects on the true value of one’s accumulated possessions. By demanding more and more, one does not become high.
ਸਾਚਾ ਸਾਹਬੁ ਏਕੁ ਤੂ ਹੋਰਿ ਜੀਆ ਕੇਤੇ ਲੋਅ ॥੩॥
The infinite divine entity prevails all other beings, of so many worlds, come and go ||3||
ਨੀਚਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਨੀਚ ਜਾਤਿ ਨੀਚੀ ਹੂ ਅਤਿ ਨੀਚੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤਿਨ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਾਥਿ ਵਡਿਆ ਸਿਉ ਕਿਆ ਰੀਸ ॥
Nanak seeks the company of the meek and humble, the ones who have been designated lowest of the low, I have no desire to mimic the elites.
ਜਿਥੈ ਨੀਚ ਸਮਾਲੀਅਨਿ ਤਿਥੈ ਨਦਰਿ ਤੇਰੀ ਬਖਸੀਸ ॥੪॥੩॥
In that place where the meek and humble are cared for where the Glance of your Grace is felt. ||4||3||
So, when those who have demonstrable elite abilities function to inspire others to excel, this is a good thing. However, when elitism driven by ego and greed, is deployed to deny equal opportunities as well as being an apology for mediocrity amongst the privileged classes, there is no moral or economic justification for it.
Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Warwick, UK. He can be contacted at Gurnam.singh.1@warwick.ac.uk
* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
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