Observing that many Union, state and municipal
governments are trying to put pressure on many enterprises in the country, to divert the
CSR funds to their official
and unofficial initiatives and projects, instead of their being routed through the
civil society organisations, the
following message is sent to many office-bearers
of the federations of the enterprises in the country:
Dear Sir/ Madam,
When our Parliament passed a legislation on Corporate Social Responsibility, it wanted that the dynamic enterprises in the country share a
small part of their profits with
the needy in the society and for social development, as an expression of their social responsibility
towards the society of which they are a part. This, in fact has been happening since a long time
through trusts or NGOs and other civil society organisations chosen by the pioneering and
exemplary entrepreneurs like the
Tatas, Birlas, Godrez, etc. Happily, philanthropy is increasing in our country on the
part of successful individuals and enterprises. Through this, the enterprises want to promote a social environment of mutual solidarity, goodwill
and better understanding among the people, in the place of the old concept of class conflict and caste divisions. The objective is that all people are able to gain productive employment and afford to consume
the services and goods needed.
This is giving back by the successful individuals and enterprises to the society
and to its social institutions in gratitude. This phenomenon is reaching astronomic figures in the developed
societies. The enterprises have been freely choosing
their partners and the purpose for which they
would like to give.
While appreciating the efforts of your organisation in promoting this spirit of voluntary exchanges
between citizens, the purpose of this letter is to appeal to you to continue to devote all your voluntary
energies, efforts, funds and goods and services
to
support other fellow citizens’
initiatives who are working for the social development of the whole society,
as much as possible; instead of placing your
resources at the disposal
of the government departmental programmes and projects.
Secondly, the same spirit and attitude should prevail when you support
relief and re-
rehabilitation work during emergencies also. You should try to show your moral and social
responsibility by pooling your
volunteers, your products and services to
reach them directly and visibly to
the people who are suffering; instead
of handing over cheques to the CM or PM relief funds, where you become anonymous
to the ultimate beneficiary.
Many local efforts by the associations deserve your guidance and support. In all cases, your efforts and
partners should remain
non-governmental in the spirit of the Act. For
those who bring pressure, you may propose
to use other options like buying ‘Electoral Bonds.’
The following are my reasons
for the above suggestion, which you may or may not agree with. Firstly, whereas a government is raising
huge amounts as tax-money from the
people and particularly a great part
from the enterprises, and that tax-money is meant to be spent to facilitate economic growth and social development of the people.
As citizens, we are all concerned that the public expenditure is not as efficient as it should be to reach its objectives. Secondly,
the government and the bureaucracy are devoting lots of
tax money, every year, to keep alive many Public Sector Undertakings, whose job the private enterprises can very well do,
and that too, better, cheaper
and faster. If there are losses, the enterprises will bear them, without asking for tax- money.
Thirdly, in terms of democratic values and social concerns,
the internal management of the enterprises by the Board of Directors, auditors, teams of managers
and the General Assembly is becoming
increasingly more democratic than the political parties in the country
which are governing
us.
Hence, I reiterate
my appeal to you that in all cases,
the delivery of your services, efforts, resources and your volunteers should remain, as much as possible,
non-governmental in the spirit of the mission.
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