Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Government Should Devise Policies to Restrain Social Ills

Social ill-practices, detrimental to the social bond of intensive interaction, receiving superfluous acceptance among masses, are regarded as social evils. It is generally the loosening effect of law and order coupled with the degeneration of moral values in a society which results in the spread of social evils. In modern society, with special reference to Afghanistan, it is important to note that a number of social evils have grappled our country in its iron claws; in addition, it seems impossible to get out of its tentacles unless immediate attention is given.

Human traits such as greed, hate, lust for power or wealth, arrogance, etc, and become social evils when they are allowed to grow in a society to a point that they become a part of that society. Today, we are being overwhelmingly governed by such indescribable attributes that put us down and render uncivilized. The social evils can be defined in different subjects, for instance, some might only ethical and some might relate to crime or it might violate certain established principles. Whatever, the foundation be, the order, harmony and coexistence of a society are endangered by widespread social evils.

We are opportunists and dare to pursue self-fulfilling prophecy; be that deadening, bringing harms to others, is none of our business, our good shouldn’t go vain. We frequently give precedence to our low ranked undertakings over others high ranked. We owe thousand of reasons to justify our ill deeds good and discredit other’s good deed. Formerly, two men were jailed for 15 years by a primary court in western Herat province of Afghanistan after they were caught selling dog meat. Another individual jailed three years when found guilty of cooperating with the two men. The convicts had played the malicious play he had sold meat of 150 dogs in the market to the local residents, prior to apprehension. The officials also added that the men were deceiving the local residents by introducing dog meat as meat of sheep. Such evil natured man is liable of stricter punishment and shouldn’t be spare who fears not exercising vicious design against humanity.

Another issue pleading prior attention is the rampant manipulation of position of authority and power. The public officials abusing their discretionary power and adopting the wrong means at the expense of their favor weren’t strange. The same practice now has succeeded infiltrating in private business, earlier deemed corruption free. The people enjoying prestigious position of authority in public office or self-employed business try to make fool the masses. Such practices go unnoticed and unchecked or with the collaboration of associates, in public offices.

Earlier a defacing act of sexual abuse of a 5-year-old boy by a police personal surfaced that certainly tarnished our fame, we had earned during the course of time. This shameful act ruined our already bruised image, took place in northern Jawzjan province. Undoubtedly, in all such the victim receives evil consequences upon disclosure of the sad events, followed by reception of threats and warnings from the wrongdoers. Hence, majority of such cases are left unreported. According to the local government officials, incidents involving rape of women and children have been rampant in this province during the recent months.

With exception to aforesaid social ill, the social evils that we deal with today are crime bigotry, bullying and illiteracy.  Besides these, there are many other social evils like child labor, wastage of food on the occasion of marriages and other social ceremonies etc. Large numbers of teenage children, send to work than schools are observed which of course is against the rule of land. On the other hand the excessive wastage of food by elite class of society where countless people walk bare foot and sleep empty stomach, is unjustifiably acceptable.   

Food prices have been raising for some time past, one of the main causes of this is the hoarding of food grains. There is acute shortage of a number of essential commodities due to foul play of black marketers. To earn huge profits, businessmen hoard the necessities of life. The legislatures must introduce legislation to check hoarding with the greatest zeal and effort. Hoarders, black marketers and profiteers should be severely dealt with.

One of the major curse of which Afghanistan is suffering is bribery and moral corruption weakening the institutional performance of the country; a poison that must be put down with an iron hand. A black market is the most colossal crime against society. There are other taboos flourishing, which are gradually decaying the society, creating anomalies such as economic disparity, excessive use of one’s authority, falling educational standard, promotion of crime and lack of proper life facilities. Corruption, unemployment, smuggling, population explosion, inflation, terrorism, bribery, black marketing, adulteration, prostitution, nepotism, and other social evils are cancer for any country. Causes of social evils are poverty, illiteracy, blind tradition. Poverty leads to criminal activities like robbery, thefts, murder, kidnapping and looting. Now and then one can find headlines in the papers about their criminal activities. When people are unable to get their livelihood by honest means, they are bound to turn into criminals. Very often people find criminals living only in the slums. In fact, it is the property that has compelled them to take to social evils. The governments should devise ways and means to raise their standard of living through proper and implementable policies and strategies.