The writer is editor at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies, Lahore.
… At present, the fissures within Pakistani society run deep; rarely has the country seen such vast divisions not only over issues but also cultish personalities, motivated by anger rather than political agendas.
The election, whenever it takes place, will be heavily contested and the challenge is to ensure that sanity prevails. Active steps need to be taken by the government, the mainstream media, and civil society — as it is a social responsibility — to inform the public about the dangers of fake news, disinformation, and tainted narratives.
At the other end, political parties and leaders are in dire need of an exercise in soul-searching to examine whether the cost of attaining (usually very short-lived power) is worth irreparably damaging institutions and society in the country and pushing them towards greater chaos. It is easy to sow the seeds of hate, but impossible to control what follows.
The deeply complex social and demographic landscape of India is already reaping what the BJP and Modi have sown with regular lynchings, sexual violence against women and rampant state-endorsed violence against minorities and political opponents.
Time is running out as new elections are already on the horizon. Society and the politicians have to make sane choices if they want to avoid the fallout of toxic narratives.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1731880/weaponised-hate
