By Narayan Prasad Mishra

We are all familiar with the word "dacoit". We hear about how they loot, kill, and kidnap people ruthlessly. Reports of dacoits attacking, looting, and killing often come from our Tarai districts. Sometimes, we see them depicted in Indian movies. The term "dacoit" refers to bandits or robbers who engage in violent crime, looting, and theft. Their operations are usually visible and straightforward, driven by a clear motive: to acquire wealth through illegal means. In countries where socioeconomic disparities are pronounced and law enforcement is inconsistent or corrupt, such criminals find opportunities to exploit weak systems. They create a sense of insecurity and fear in communities, destabilizing the social order. They are a great threat to any society and nation. However, everyone knows that they are dangerous.  

But there is another type of dacoit in our society, whom we call "intellectual dacoits". While traditional dacoits are considered uneducated, intellectual dacoits are often educated. Traditional dacoits are easily identified because of their direct crimes, but intellectual dacoits are not so easily recognized. They engage in crimes under the guise of respectability, posing as honorable members of society. While traditional dacoits pose a visible threat, intellectual dacoits present a much more insidious and often invisible danger. They are more condemnable than the traditional dacoits.

Intellectual dacoits include individuals such as students, teachers, professors, academics, bureaucrats, corporate leaders, politicians, police, army officers, judges, businesspeople, industrialists, etc, who misuse their intellectual capabilities and influence for personal gain. They manipulate the system, using their knowledge not to uplift society but to benefit themselves or their close associates, often through legal loopholes, manipulation, or the misuse of public funds. This makes them much more dangerous to society and the country. They are a plague. Traditional dacoits are a direct threat, but intellectual dacoits are invisible, unidentified, and the most dangerous indirect threat to a nation. While traditional dacoits engage in direct acts of crime and theft, intellectual dacoits compromise the moral, intellectual, and ethical foundations of society, leading to its unimaginable ruin. Together, they contribute to the destabilization and potential downfall of a country.

Intellectual dacoity is particularly dangerous because it undermines trust in public institutions and erodes the ethical foundations of society. When educated and powerful individuals misuse their positions, they send a clear message to the public: success is achieved not through hard work or moral integrity but through deceit, corruption, and exploitation. This leads to a society-wide loss of faith in institutions, disillusionment, and a decline in social cohesion. Intellectual dacoits often disguise their actions as policy reforms or academic expertise, making it difficult for the average citizen to recognize their true intentions. In this way, intellectual dacoits contribute even more significantly to the ruin of the country than traditional dacoits. Traditional dacoits destabilize society at the ground level, while intellectual dacoits weaken its very framework from the top.  

We all feel and know that our country has far more intellectual dacoits than traditional ones. I think that is the leading cause of our backwardness. That is the reason why the condition of our country is going from bad to worse. They are spread invisibly, like air. They use their intellect not to uplift society but for personal gain—power, positions, wealth, etc.—at the cost of honesty, integrity, morality, sincerity, and loyalty to the nation and its people. They do not consider what is right or wrong, bad or good. They do not value anyone's good writing or advice. They are self-centered and act only for the benefit of their families, friends, groups, or parties. They even collaborate with traditional dacoits when it serves their purposes. The main reason for the presence of intellectual dacoits in every area of society is the lack of a reward and punishment system in the country.

We have witnessed many instances of politicians forming friendships and alliances with well-known gangsters, dacoits, and kidnappers, such as Chari, Ghaite, Milan, Ganesh, Deepak, etc. Recently, we saw hundreds of cooperative owners and operators—unthinkable intellectual dacoits—who misappropriated trillions of rupees entrusted to them by the public. It is clear that they received support, assistance, and protection from politicians, who are themselves intellectual dacoits.  

We also hear about intellectual dacoits among journalists. People speak of the "Baraha Bhai" (Gang of the Twelve Brothers), a group of journalists accused of serving their own interests rather than the welfare of the people and the nation. There are reports of journalists working for foreign countries. Similarly, we hear about intellectual dacoit students, teachers, and professors who, instead of working for academic progress, act as political servants for personal gain. We hear about intellectual dacoits among politicians and bureaucrats who are unimaginably corrupt and involved in numerous corruption cases and scandals, including the fake Bhutanese Corruption Scandal. There are reports of dozens of corruption cases implicating prime ministers, ministers, secretaries, and many other individuals in positions of power. At the same time, we hear about high-ranking police officials who have faced punishment for their corruption. We frequently encounter these intellectual dacoits in public service offices such as land, tax, transportation, survey, road, and sewage departments. 

Intellectual dacoits are the root cause of our nation's lack of progress in every field. Without uprooting these individuals, our country cannot develop.

Combating traditional dacoits requires stronger law enforcement, economic reforms, and investments in underdeveloped areas. However, fighting intellectual dacoity demands a deeper and more challenging approach. Transparent governance, accountability in public offices, and educational reforms emphasizing ethics and civic responsibility are essential. Unless the majority of citizens are well-educated, morally upright, and socially conscious, and unless intellectual dacoits are disrespected, hated, or boycotted, we cannot eradicate them from society.  

Ultimately, a nation wishing to escape the grip of both traditional and intellectual dacoity must foster a culture of integrity and transparency. This requires the combined efforts of the government, civil society, and citizens. By addressing the root causes of corruption and crime, a country can create a sustainable path toward growth, equality, and prosperity. In doing so, it can protect itself from the ruin that results from the unchecked influence of dacoits and intellectual dacoits alike.  

Additionally, we need more public intellectuals who prioritize evidence, logic, and dedication to facts over allegiance to particular ideologies, institutions, or interest groups. Such intellectuals engage in public discourse on important social, political, cultural, and philosophical issues, using their expertise to shape public opinion, promote critical thinking, and advocate for societal change. We need public intellectuals like Noam Chomsky and Cornel West from the USA and Malcolm Gladwell from Canada. Furthermore, we need national media outlets—newspapers, magazines, television, YouTube, and radio—that value and promote the contributions of these intellectuals.  

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