IN THE Crime and Punishment book, Fyodor Dosveosky narrates the story of a young male student at a university, Raskalnikov. 
Raskalnikov divides people into two classes of the society. 
In the first class Raskalnikov calls ‘the elites’ or ‘super-people’; and the other ‘the masses’ or ‘submissive.’ 
The elites make up a few people who rule the majority. They regard themselves as more intelligent, more privileged and more chosen people than the ‘ordinary people.’ 
Although they think themselves as civilised people, they disobey the law because they believe they are above the law, after all they make the law.
The ordinary people are more obedient. They regard themselves as harmless people who do no more than look after their interests. 
They only look out for themselves and disregard those who are less unfortunate themselves. 
They grow old and decay. And the history pages do not remember them, either good or bad.
Raskalnikov regards himself as a member of the first people – the ‘elites’ and despises the second – ‘the masses’.
In the book, Raskalnikov commits a crime by murdering a pawnbroker to steal her money and murders her sister to destroy the witness. Raskalnikov believes he’s forgiven because he belongs to ‘the elites.’
Raskalnikov cites history to support his case, Napoleon, Alexander and the rulers who wage wars against defenceless people and justified their crimes. These elites and rulers are forgiven because they’ve won and they write the history to justify their crimes.
But Raskalnikov eventually confesses his crime. The evidence of his crime was in his psychology. Raskalnikov could not bear it any longer.
History will confess the crimes in our times the head of states commit if we do not recognise them now.
AXMED BAHJAD
Fleet Street
Swindon