SOCIO-POLITICAL CRITIQUE THROUGH A MARXIST LENS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY REALITIES IN PAKISTAN AND GOD'S OWN LAND

Abstract

The study explores the importance of ISAs and RSAs within a state and how they contribute in domination of upper classes. By applying Althusser theory of Ideological state apparatuses and repressive state apparatuses the paper examines Shaukat Siddiqi’s novel God’s Own Land to reveal the processes through which a state supports ruling class to sustain over working class. The novel digs deep to describe state’s brutalities and narrates how ISAs and RSAs collaborate with each other. ISAs stands for institutions like schools, churches, mosques, media and culture while RSAs deals with police, military and political bodies of state. The paper examines that how ISAs create a favorable environment for RSAs to work and support ruling class. ISAs develop a certain ideology that metamorphoses common masses into subjects. The subject formation through the help of ISAs provides a favorable chance to ruling class to sustain their power. The study examines the key role of ISAs and RSAs in perpetuating class dominance, and highlights the relationship between ideology, state, subject and power. The paper concludes that how the whole mechanism of state is in build to suppress working class and support dominant class.