“The first requisite for the progress of a nation is the brotherhood and unity among sections of society,” aptly noted Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Yet, one must ask whether elites truly share this vision. In fact, across the globe, powerful groups often do the opposite: deliberately dividing people along ethnic, religious, economic, and racial lines to consolidate power, win popular support, and divert attention from pressing issues. By stoking these divisions, they advance agendas ranging from expanding control and promoting populist rhetoric to manufacturing consent for wars and conflicts.

To appreciate how this works, it helps to understand that social polarization describes the growing separation of society into opposing camps—typically defined by class, ideology, or identity—which undermines cooperation and tolerance. In parallel, elitism denotes the concentration of wealth, status, and political influence in a small segment of society. When these two forces combine, they create a potent mechanism for elites to protect their privileges: dividing people ensures they remain distracted and fragmented, rather than united against those at the top.

Moreover, history offers stark examples of polarization as a tool of control. The British Empire’s “divide-and-rule” policy in colonial India deliberately pitted communities against one another to prevent unified resistance, thereby preserving imperial dominance. Similarly, modern political figures frequently deploy populist........

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