Dharna Culture and Political Mobilization in Pakistan: A Socio-Economic Perspective

Abstract

Dharna (sit-in) has emerged as a rather significant part of the social work through the political system: This is perhaps because of the socio-economic unrest and the weak foundations of the institution. Although past literature has focused heavily on the development of leadership and party politics, very little research has focused in a systematic way on the socio-economic dynamics that allows mass sit-ins to be sustained. The paper examines the relationship between poverty, lack of employment, inequality, and structured political movement in the context of 2014 Islamabad dharna, as a case study. The study holds to the Social Mobilization and Resource Mobilization theories and applies a qualitative research study design with the support of thematic analysis of secondary information, media accounts, and academic literature. It was found out that the structural economic vulnerability strangled with the supply of logistical and financial support by political parties results in the reduced opportunity costs of involvement in protests among marginalized groups. It is a process that changes latent grievances into enduring collective action, and at the same captures the failure of Pakistan democratic institutions to respond to people grievances via the normal institutional processes. The paper summarizes the findings that the phenomenon of dharna culture is a socio-economically based demonstration of discontent which remains because of the lack of equilibrium in inequalities and lack of governance. It suggests wide-ranging policy changes that are aimed at reducing the gap between poverty and employment, institutional responsibility and civic participation in order to reduce the necessity of the destructive protest politics. This study makes an important contribution toward an extended debate on protest mobilization in the Global South by encompassing the dharna culture in its overall argument.