Democracy and the Civil Society

Since middle school I have known democracy as a form of government “by the people, for the people and of the people”. And I believe everyone else more or else define democracy by quoting those very words of Abraham Lincoln as well. Essentially it means a form of governance where the main power is given to the people and every decision is taken keeping in mind the welfare of the people more than anything else.

However, democracy as Lincoln saw it is hardly practiced in India. The largest democracy of the world still ranks 95^th in the Corruption Percentage Index out of 182 countries with a 10% unemployment rate (in 2010) even after 65 years of independence. I would not ramble about the failures of Indian democracy. Every Indian who reads the newspaper would know how the country is faring. And I seriously don’t believe badmouthing my motherland is going to do anyone any good.

I am here to express my views about the growing civil society in India; the new hope of the nation, which is fast helping to change the dynamics of the country.

For those who are just vaguely aware of what I am talking about, being a student of economics, given below is the definition of civil society adopted by the World Bank: “the term civil society to refer to the wide array of non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) therefore refer to a wide of array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labor unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations”.

Now, one can easily exclaim that NGOs have been in the country for a considerable amount of time. What is so new about it? Well, what is new is that in the last decade or so, many, many young social entrepreneurs have come with effective ways to help the country be a better nation. I don’t have to go too far to look for examples either! Youth Ki Awaaz is a perfect example of an online platform started to voice the important issues in our country by the youngsters of the nations.

Let me try to elucidate how civil society is aiding democracy with an example.

The Right to Education Act was finally passed in 2009 after much debate on the bill. This act ensures free and compulsory primary education to all children till the age of 14 years. The work of democracy near about finishes with the act being passed. The civil society’s work is the actual work now. CSOs strive to ensure that this act is implemented by the government schools. Organizations like CRY and UNICEF have launched campaigns to educate the poor people about RTE Act, visiting schools to ensure they do not ask for fees, classrooms and toilets are in proper condition, mid-day meals provided to the children are edible, so on and so forth. They conduct surveys and polls with the help on diligent volunteers and finally file complaints to government if the Act is not followed by government schools. Many other NGOs like Make a Difference and Teach for India have taken it upon themselves to impart primary education to children who cannot afford to pay for it.

This was just a small example to show how civil society makes the government tick and ensures that the laws and acts passed for the needy and poor are actually executed and the people are benefitted from it.

Thankfully, recent years have seen an unprecedented enthusiasm by the youth of the country to make every effort to change the face of the country. Democracy is truly a government by the people and if the privileged class do their bit to help the ones who need it, the world’s largest democracy will surely turn into something worth its name.

I  remember, back in middle schools, I would always end the essays in my English examination papers with “drops and drops of water, make the mighty ocean.” I say that here, because we are the civil society-the educated few in a country where 8 million children do not attend schools and our little contribution is all that is needed to make the democracy tick.