To clean the mess of the world intelligentsia has to rise and play its vibrant role.

1. The Role Of Intelligentsia
B Y
I M T I A Z A H M A D

2. Introduction
 The confronting tragic reality of the Syria and Paris; and at the same
time the debate that our TV channelsare carrying on – is full of “Sound
and Fury, Signifying Nothing”.
 One is keenly reminded of the under-mentionedverses of Yeats, to
ignite and spur the intelligentsia.
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all convictions, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity
-W.B Yeats

3. Origin & Purpose of Intelligentsia
 The word ‘intelligentsia’ is Russian in origin.
 During the 19th century, members of the Russian intelligentsiathought
of themselves as united by something more than a mere interest in
ideas.
 They considered themselves asbelonging to a dedicated order under the
following considerations;
 The Russian intelligentsia had accepted the doctrine that every man was
called upon to perform amission beyond mere selfish purpose of material
existence.
 They had an education superior to their suppressed brothers. Therefore,
they had a direct duty to helpthem towards enlightenment.
 They were convinced that this duty was uniquely binding on them. If they
fulfilled it, as surely historyintended them to, the future of their suppressed
brethren would surely be glorious.

4.  It was Herzen who said,
 “We are great doctrinaires. With fearless steps, we march to the very limit
and gobeyond it; never out of step with the dialectic, only with the truth.”
 Isaiah Berlin has rightly observed,
 “Thephenomenon of intelligentsia, with its historical and literary
consequences, is the largest single contribution to socialchange in the
world.”

5. Categories of Intelligentsia
 Noam Chomsky, in his book, “American Power and the New
Mandarins”, divides the intelligentsia into twocategories
 The Mandarins and
 The Resistant

6. Mandrians Resistant
 The Mandarins are those members of
intelligentsia who use knowledge to
achievepersonal power in collaboration
with theestablishment.
 They are elitist, manipulative,
intriguing, andcontemptuous of
principles, moral issues andhuman
rights.
 They are opposed to every popular
movement manipulative.
 They are opposed in people’s
participation indecision making.
 The Resistant’s, on the other hand, are
democratic, principled, dedicated to
truth andsocial justice.
 They are engaged in creative search for
new andbetter ways of doing things.
They believe in thegreatest good of the
greatest number.
 Persecution does not hold them back;
rather theydraw strength from it.
 In the age of disorientation,
normlessness,opportunism and
hypocrisy, they uphold thebanner of
commitment and dedication. They are
not afraid of standing up and be
counted

7. Responsibilities of Society & Intelligentsia
 The Mandarins and the Resistant are to be found in every country but
to be followed as under:-
 A dynamic, progressive society would be teeming with the Resistant.
 On the other hand, a decadent, moribund society abounds with the
Mandarins.
 Unfortunately in our country, the Mandarins far outnumber the
Resistant.
 That is why, we are not movingahead.
 That is why, we are sinking ever deeper into the morass of corruption
and hypocritical religiosity.

8.  The versesof Yeats beat the trumpet with huge impact on every
institution with following impacts :
 Things fall apart, the center does not hold.
 Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
 Disarray and wasteland of values.
 The intellectual does not live off ideas, he lives for ideas and even dies for
them.
 The real intellectual dissects slogans and exposes the vested interests which
lurk behind them.

9. Sovereignty & Its Meaning
 For instance, when someone says sovereignty belongs to God, he is asserting
only the obvious, but it is asuitable attempt to snatch sovereignty from the
people.
 Medieval dogmas are constantly falling under the scrutiny ofthe intellectual
who tears the mask of hypocrisy worn by medievalism.
 During the 18th century, the Encyclopaedists prepared the ideological
background for the French Revolution (1789).
 They awakened the French people from thedogmatic slumber of the medieval
ages.
 They broke the stranglehold of the priests on the hearts and minds of thepeople
by popularizing the ideas into deeds as following:-
Ideas Yields
 Equality Humanism
 Freedom Rationalism
 Fraternity Pluralism

10. Oppressions into Revolutions
 According to the great Italian revolutionary, Antonio Gramsci, before
an oppressed class throws off thepolitical hegemony; which is possible
only if they produce intellectuals who stand by them through thick and
thin.
 For Gramsci, the hegemony of a political class meant that the class has
succeeded in persuading other classes ofsociety to accept its own
moral, political and cultural values as under:-
 Hegemony is brought about by a slow but persistent modification of people’s
consciousness.
 Every relationship of hegemony is necessarily a pedagogic relationship.
 Process of learning new values correspond to the interests of the suppressed
classes.

11.  The degree of success of such an educational process is shown by the
extent to which a newconsensus is formed.
 To create such a consensus among the oppressed classes will enable a
new society to emerge.
 It is essential that the intellectuals do not lose touch with the masses.
 History and politics cannot be made without passion, without the
deep emotional bond between the intellectuals and the working
masses.

12. Role of Pakistan’s Intelligentsia
 What, then, is the role of intelligentsia in Pakistan?
 Basically, it is the same as that of the French Encyclopaedists during
the 18th century and that of the Russian intelligentsia during the 19th
century.
 It is toprepare the intellectual ground for the democratic revival and
the cultural renaissance of the masses as under;
 The scientific, technological and cultural revolution.
 Enlightenment against obscurantism.
 Rationalism against superstition.
 Tolerance against fanaticism.
 Innovation against orthodoxy.
 Democracy against dictatorship.
 Social justice against exploitation.

13. Conclusion
 Pakistan is having a rendezvous with destiny.
 The members of the intelligentsia – writers, artists, teachers,
journalists, scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers and preachers – are
called upon to play their role as harbingers ofa new social order or as
the perpetuators of the status quo.
 Each one of them has to answer the question:
Which sideof the barricade are they on?

14. THANK YOU 