“Relative deprivation is a major source of ethnic conflict.” Elaborate the statement with relevant examples. 15 Marks. (UPSC CSE Mains 2024- Political Science and International Relations, Paper 1)
Relative Deprivation is defined as the conscious feeling of negative discrepancy between legitimate expectations and present actualities. As defined by social and political scientists, relative deprivation theory suggests that people who feel they are being deprived of something considered essential in for their lives (e.g. money, rights, political voice, status) may organize or join social movements or armed conflicts dedicated to obtaining the things of which they feel deprived.
Relative deprivation may occur when expectations remain constant but capabilities decline; expectations increase but capabilities decline; and expectations increase while capabilities remain stable. Increasing expectations without increase in level of capabilities result in relative deprivation which manifests in violence. Violence derives from high level of discontent caused from relative deprivation.
For example, in a recent conflict in Manipur, the trigger was the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. This was seen by the Kuki tribe as a threat to their share of state-given socio-economic opportunities. The conflict gave rise to violent clashes between the groups and resulted in more than 200 deaths and 50,000 displacements.
Ethnicity, Gurr asserts, ‘is the obvious basis for mobilizing oppositions’ against the state. Gurr states that, the higher the degree of frustration, the greater the political instability. In short, the intensification of RD with regard to political participation, prosperity, collective/communal values and societal status can lead to a ‘decline in ideational coherence’ which consequently leads to a breakdown in the social order and to violence.
Ethnic conflict can result from ethnic diversity when ethnic groups inhabit the same political space but receive differential political treatment. Such tensions can lead to ethnic violence, terrorism and civil war, which in turn endanger national unity, poses a question of legitimacy and undermines the state’s territorial integrity.
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