Rao VBJ Chelikani
The present Government is intentionally throwing
away the baby along with the bath water. Ignoring the indispensable role and
place of the civil society organisations in a democracy, as it is visible in
advanced liberal democracies, there is a clear tendency on the part of the
Government to change the rules of the game, constantly, so as not to allow the
Indian citizens to enjoy their constitutional right to freely form associations
and to operate them efficiently. The present authorities are unable to see the
role the NGOs can play to foster better international exchanges and
cooperation. This attitude is further against the spirit of the International
Humanitarian laws.
However,
nobody would deny the duty of a government to efficiently prevent, weed out and
to punish all abuses of all kinds by the NGOs, whenever and wherever they take
place. No doubt, it is also true that there are some NGO which are making use
of foreign money for religious propaganda and conversions. But, still, the
governmental reactions and measures are authoritarian and detrimental to the
growth of democracy in the country.
In
the present political context inside the country, the civil societies have a
crucial role to play, as the traditional press and visual media is too much
obsessed with the political parties and the political parties are too much
obsessed with the capturing power. Since the political parties are not opposing
the ruling party with ‘loyalty’ to democratic values, it falls upon the civil
associations to provide positive and constructive criticism and genuine
democratic opposition to any authoritarian rule of the political parties, and comments
and suggestions against the rules of the over-zealous bureaucracy. This is not
a new mission, if we remember the fact that we fought for independence as
movements, campaigns, ashrams and associations, rather than as political
parties. We should not forget the fact that for three decades in the 60s, 70s
and 80s, we have continuously received billions of rupees of aid from the civil
societies of the western liberal democracies. Historically also, ancient India
had been a society of several professional and occupational informal
associations, rather than of ever-interfering monarchies.
Probably, the time has come to review and to redefine their role in society, not only in polity. Some measures can be taken up. We should help them
i) to draft
a Charter of Rights and Duties as well as facilitate
ii) their
forming platforms for ‘internal cleansing’ and
iii) for
observance of ethical and democratic norms in public criticism. May be the
present crisis might propel them to come together, as it never happened in the
past
iv) to form a ‘pressure-group’ along with the
professional associations in order to facilitate their ‘ease of living’ and
‘ease of doing business’, which the authorities are luckily willing to discuss.
Further,
in the place of current resistance, there is a need for v) encouraging and
supporting the Indian NGOs to collaborate in the people-to-people international
cooperation, as it is being done by Germany, Japan and the USA and other big
aid-giving countries. It will be cheaper, direct, efficient and lasting, than
the present practice of depending entirely on diplomatic negotiations and
exchanges among the political authorities in power. India has also started
giving aid in the Chinese style to the developing countries that make
declarations echoing India’s concerns. But, International aid and solidarity as
expressed from state-to-state has proved to be a total failure, since it took
place among the diplomats and politicians and is not reaching the people. In
the current situation in Afghanistan, for example, India could have provided
relief, long time ago, to those suffering people and gained their genuine
sympathy, had it channeled the aid through Indian NGOs like Red Cross, Red Crescent
and Ramakrishna Mission, or any other pro-governmental or pro-ruling party NGO.
It is time that the governments and the bureaucracy in
India are made to understand and accept that they cannot do everything and
every time, anymore, as their philosophy of total governance, which would only
result in more delays, wastage and corruption. Would we want to become another
China? After so many years of Republican life in the country, the Indian state
should not think and act as guardian of its minor children. There are two
contradictory trends that are taking place in our governance: It is the
phenomenon of the 21st century that the individual is being empowered
unfettered, in leaps and bounds, in knowledge, social vision and in his
capacity to act directly. Now, the citizens are capable of assuming more
responsibilities and act more efficiently by more direct participation. On the
other hand, our politicians are vying with each other to ‘infantilise’ the
voters in the sense that they treat the citizens as a mother would treat her
children. They promise to provide everything without asking for it.
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