RISE OF MILITANCY IN TRIBAL AREAS: AN APPLICATION OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION THEORY
Keywords:
Militancy, Rise, FATA, 9/11, Pakistan, Relative DeprivationAbstract
FATA (Presently part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) is under international focus since the incident of 9/11. It is considered as the breeding ground of terrorism which is considered to be a serious threat for peace not only in Pakistan, Afghanistan but also the whole world. FATA, unfortunately, is one such region that has become a sort of safe haven for hostile individuals and groups who have successfully taken advantage of prevailing circumstances-poverty, illiteracy, state neglect and institutional isolation. As a result of modernization all over the world, uneven levels of development exist. Sharing of benefits among different ethnic groups and discrimination in terms of development creates disequilibrium in a society. According to Ted Robert Gurr, in this situation, under privileged ethnic groups may develop a perception of relative deprivation. He propounded the ‘Relative Deprivation’ theory (psychological frustration-aggression theory) which argues that the primary source of the human capacity for violence is the frustration-aggression mechanism. Frustration does not necessarily lead to violence, Gurr says, but when it is sufficiently prolonged and sharply felt, it often does result in anger and eventually lead to violence and extremist activities. It equally qualifies for the region of FATA because the tribesmen feel frustration for their neglect on the part of the successive governments of Pakistan since its inception in all fields of life. By presenting an indigenous perspective of FATA, the aim of this paper is to try and unearth the reasons behind the current situation, which has over time been marked by instability, lawlessness and turmoil, thus leading many in the west to refer to the region as ‘no man’s land’—a region ungovernable and lacking in civilization. The study will focus on its analysis by using the ‘Relative theory as the analytical framework. In order to argue its case, this paper relies upon published primary and secondary sources as well as the researchers’ first-hand knowledge by discussion of the topic with many experts on the subject of FATA Deprivation’
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