Modern history is littered with stories of political violence as it has become endemic in modern times. But the concept of political violence is not new as it has existed since ancient times. Aristotle also maintained that political violence has a moral and ethical dimension. Political violence generally arises from some social tensions and it is directed against the state. However, political violence is different from other types of violence or general violence as violence in the political arena is a purposeful action that is directed against the wrong or unjust policies of the state.
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Meaning of Political Violence
Political violence is a mass movement that is a violent act and is regarded as the collective action of a section or group of people against the state and its apparatus – Government. The basic motto of political violence is to draw the attention of the Government to the plights and discontent of the people. It may be directed against a certain policy of government or its general policies. It may arise from the humiliating policies of the state or the degradation of human being
It may take the form of a revolution and change the entire political system or it may take the shape of a coup where only regime changes or by the use of force or the forceful takeover of the state apparatus. Chanakya believed that political violence had its origin in attitudinal changes of the people and it was caused by the wrong policy of the king and his subordinates.
As Rajani Kothari has rightly said: ‘Political violence in its existence in its essence is the direct result of the violation of the dignity of human beings and human collectives. To the extent that such violation has to be overcome, some violence is likely to follow as counter-response and as an expression of newly released psychic power’.
Political Violence and Political Integration
Integration of different groups or sections of people having different cultures, ethnicity, languages, etc. into one entity, is also an important dimension of political violence. The group or section of the people tries to maintain its distinct identity and resists the integration process launched by the state. The state may also use force to integrate the different sections of the society if the people resist its move.
As the modern state has emerged from the debris of the feudal and tribal communities, it has to amalgamate the different sections of the feudal and tribal society into one, as these were autonomous by nature. Autonomous entities like kings, ministers, generals, feudal lords, tribes, caste, and religious and linguistic minorities, on the other hand, seek to resist this integration and amalgamation process.
Historically speaking, the political integration has resulted in an untold saga of violence and war. With few exceptions, the amalgamation process in every state has given rise to extreme forms of violence and genocide. The genocide, pogrom, and the annihilation of the whole section group that the history of the state has witnessed has its genesis in the political integration. The Western countries achieved this integration at the cost of genocide, pogrom, and use of force against minorities and autonomous entities. That is why many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America witnessed many forms of political violence.
Thus, political violence has been a part of our world since ancient times which shaped the nature of several states of the modern world.
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