One question that followers of social activism are repeatedly asked is the secret of their strength of resistance. Human nature, as Thomas Hobbes described is based on greed and selfish interest. Individuals are always driven towards personal gains rather than actions that are in the collective interest of society. History has always been of blood and soil, our past immersed in the struggle for power and tyranny. Never has there been an empire or a civilisation where there are no marginalised community, oppressed people, and tyrant rulers. Even in the democratic government, we find the recent surge of Populism and Majoritarianism. In spite of all these shortcomings, how someone rises to argue for the liberation and humanisation of those people who themselves do not want to be liberated?
The same question was in the mind of Northeastern University School of Law professor Margaret Burnham when she first met Julian Bond, a civil rights activist. Bond told her that for him humanity is an adobe of solidarity, not hate. Humans have the inherent capacity to work in cooperation. It is only a few rotten apples who are polluting the entirety of the human basket.
Replying to the same question, Noam Chomsky said, “It is the responsibility of the intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.” The people in authority manufacture consent for their actions. The general mass of people is not capable enough to resist such a huge overflow of propaganda and misinformation. Also, there is a latent characteristic in the human nature of always submitting to legitimate authority. And rulers always preset themselves as legitimate. In such a condition of disguised atrocity, the burden to liberate oneself does not lie in the individual himself, but those who have the required knowledge and skill. It is the responsibility of those who have liberated themselves from the language of the oppressor. The dark abyss is the unfortunate reality of this world, but it will be more unfortunate if those who know this reality do not rise to struggle for a better future.
Nafis Haider