Since the formation of the so-called democratic system in Afghanistan, after the downfall of Taliban, security is not the only issue in the country, though most of the concentration has been given to it. There are many other social and economic issues that have crept within Afghan society and they have the capacity to eat out the roots of Afghan society slowly and gradually. Among these problems, the issue of growing stratification between the rich and the poor is the most frustrating one. It does not only point to the fact that there has been uneven development in the society, but also reveal the fact that most of the people of the society remain distant from the advantages and services that have been taken on their names.
As a matter of fact, the differences seem to be intensifying and are affecting the society in so many negative ways. It has not been the stratification of a society in different classes that causes much trouble to a society rather it is that the stratification has become intense, which has caused the society to suffer or even suffocate.
The aid and assistance that came to the country in the last 20 years for the development purposes do not seem to have benefited the needy people of the society rather they have been accumulated by certain authoritative people who use them for their own benefits and grandeur, which has further boldened the boundaries between the rich and poor classes. Though the stratification into rich and poor classes existed in Afghan society earlier as well, but it has changed its primitive shape; even in the urban regions the stratification is more like modern upper-class and lower-class division.
In fact, the current economic system does not seem to be working and there are controversies regarding the future of the system. In fact, if studied closely, it can found that Afghanistan’s economic system is based on capitalist system, and this system has been working for so many countries; however, there are few pre-requisites that are maintained to a varying extent by these countries that have been helping the system to develop instead of facing a failure.
First, it has been made sure that justice should be maintained in its true spirit, i.e. it must not favor only the upper class; rather the upper class itself should be treated by the law and order system in the same way as the other two classes; namely, lower, middle and upper classes. In simpler terms, social stratification has not been changed to social injustice.
Second, social mobility has been made very easy in such societies. Social mobility basically means movement from one social class to another. For example, it has not been very difficult for a person taking birth in a lower class to work hard, develop the capability and move to the middle and even to upper class. There have been equal opportunities for almost all the members of the societies to excel in their lives and become rich. The reverse has been maintained as well, i.e. the people born in rich families but not working hard have been pushed to the lower strata. Social mobility has been able to provide some oxygen for the social setup to inhale so that it must keep on living.
The societies like Afghanistan where the wealth has poured in without much accountability and weak check and balance system, the stratification has led to sufferings.
The upper class in Afghanistan cannot be said to be in the form as it exists in an industrialized society. Rather, it includes the landlords, tribal heads and religious leaders. Both political and economic systems tend to revolve around these people who are in total control of entire wealth and its distribution. Further, it is also true that all these people do not seem to have the ability for what they are gifted.
They, in pursuit of their own benefits, have only made the opportunity of development favor themselves. The poor people of Afghanistan, who have been badly stricken by decades of wars, have only suffered the worst manifestations of poverty. There are millions who do not have the basic requirements of life and are compelled to live their lives in the remotest areas, without much support and attention. Food, cloth, shelter and other requirements like education and security are non-existent for them. And at the same time, there are people who own properties worth millions of dollars. These are all the results of an intense stratification. The poor do not seem to be having many opportunities of improvements in their lives and that means that social mobility, which can provide oxygen to a stratified society does not exist, while the social injustice is on the rise. The law and order system, instead of treating everyone alike, has served the purpose of the upper-class alone. The current scenario if goes unchecked can bring further misery to Afghan society.