Though "treat everyone as you want to be treated" has always been my life's mantra, the demise of empathy in our society has been a major source of my lack of motivation. From street corners to social media, the decline feels palpable. Despite my best efforts to practice empathy – to offer a kind word, to share what I have – it often feels futile in an environment that seems to reward apathy. Each incident – whether it's the plight of stray animals abandoned to suffer or the struggles of rickshaw pullers denied their means of livelihood – feels like a further example of societal indifference. And this indifference is not random; it is systemic.

Two recent events exemplify this troubling reality. The first details the government's move to ban battery-run rickshaws, which provide a livelihood to countless lower-middle-class workers, without addressing alternative solutions for their survival. The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court only later halted the High Court ruling to ban battery-powered rickshaws in the Dhaka Metropolitan area. The second is an account of the tragic fate of stray animals in Japan Garden City, a housing society in Dhaka, where urban callousness has led to mass cruelty and extermination. These are not isolated incidents. These incidents are symptoms of a deeper malaise—a system that erodes empathy, leaving its most vulnerable victims, both human and non-human, to bear the brunt.

Neoliberal capitalism has long been critiqued for creating an ecosystem of detachment. As Susan J. Olson (2012) has argued, corporations under neoliberalism function with a psychopathic disregard for societal well-being, focusing solely on profit maximisation. This culture is deeply ingrained in our society, encouraging individuals to prioritise self-interest over collective good.

In such a context, empathy is treated as an expendable commodity. The fate of the battery-run rickshaw pullers exemplifies this. These workers, often rural migrants, already navigate precarious economic realities. The ban on their vehicles, justified under the banner of urban orderliness and energy efficiency, ignores their lived realities. There is no robust plan to compensate for their losses or integrate them into alternative forms of employment. It is a classic example of neoliberal governance: tidy the streets, appease the urban middle class, and leave the marginalised to fend for themselves.

Similarly, the extermination of stray animals in Japan Garden City reveals the moral cost of urban isolation. In gated communities, residents often see themselves as distinct from the chaos of the city, their lives governed by order and convenience. Stray animals, perceived as nuisances, are removed without a second thought. This callousness stems not from individual malice but from a system that has trained us to look away.

The urban middle class, cocooned in the comforts of gated apartments and ride-sharing apps, operates in a bubble that justifies their apathy. Stray animals and rickshaw pullers exist on the periphery of their neatly curated lives, their struggles abstract and distant.

This bubble is further reinforced by urbanisation, which isolates individuals from the collective struggles of their communities. The physical density of cities belies spiritual loneliness – a phenomenon exacerbated by the relentless pace of urban living. In such an environment, practising empathy requires conscious effort, a commodity that is increasingly scarce.

The victims of this empathy deficit are always those without a voice. The battery-run rickshaw pullers belong to a group perpetually overlooked. Unlike the working class, they are not romanticised as symbols of resilience; unlike the upper middle class, they lack the means to demand attention. They live in limbo, easily expendable in the calculus of urban governance.

Animals, too, fall prey to this systemic apathy. In a city like Dhaka, where even human suffering often goes unnoticed, the lives of stray animals are considered irrelevant. Yet, their fate mirrors our moral trajectory. A society that justifies cruelty to animals as necessary for urban tidiness will eventually justify cruelty to humans under similar pretences.

Neoliberalism's focus on individual success discourages collective efforts towards social justice, framing empathy as a weakness rather than a strength. Political discourses that advocate for empathy as a tool for addressing inequality are often dismissed as idealistic, hindering the possibility of meaningful change. As Olson notes, this culture of apathy creates a feedback loop. The more disconnected we become, the less likely we are to engage empathetically with others. Over time, this detachment manifests as societal decay, where inequalities deepen, and the suffering of the vulnerable is normalised.

The antidote to this crisis lies in challenging the structures that perpetuate apathy. Policies must be designed with empathy at their core, prioritising the needs of the marginalised. Urban planning must account for the interconnectedness of all lives, recognising that the well-being of stray animals or rickshaw pullers is tied to the moral health of the city.

On an individual level, empathy must be practised as resistance. It is not enough to feel pity; empathy requires action, whether through advocacy, volunteering, or simply acknowledging the existence of those around us.

As I reflect on the changes I have observed, I am reminded that practising empathy in a world designed to suppress it is a radical act. It is also an exhausting one. Yet, if we give up, what remains? A society where cruelty is the norm and care is the exception. That is not the world I want to live in. It is not a world any of us should accept.

References:

1. SpringerBriefs in Political Science. Olson, G. (2012). The neoliberal state and the state of empathy.

2. Dhaka Tribune (November 25, 2024). SC stays HC ban on battery-powered rickshaws.

3. The Daily Star (November 23, 2024). The tragic fate of stray animals in Japan Garden City.

4. The Daily Star (November 24, 2024). Ban on battery-run rickshaws: Govt to file plea seeking stay on HC order.

Azra Humayra is majoring in Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka. Find her at azrahumayra123@gmail.com