Even in modern times, communities existed before governments were here to take care of public needs. There were many groups of people with a common sense of purpose and a feeling of duty to one another, before there were political institutions forcing them to perform their duties.

– Daniel Boorstin, The Decline of Radicalism (1969)

Civil Society in India: A Glance

India is a democratic, multi stranded society, on the verge of becoming a key contributor to the fast changing global framework. However, in these unsteady times it becomes pertinent to raise the question: does democracy and globalization necessarily mean equal access to services? Differences have always persisted in the social-economic scene in India, because of which the third sector, and in particular, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), have served as a vital support in the development of society.

The world maybe flat, but society isn’t – an acceptance of a heterogeneous economic and social polity in India; and on the other hand, the disregard of a single supreme standard and culture. NGO’s, therefore, work to fill a void by contributing to governance; helping the under privileged, all within the established structure of the state system. Thus they do not necessarily function as a monopoly of power challenging the government, but rather as a conduit to effectively monitor the activities of the State, channeling the voice of the ‘people’ in the upper echelons of power. In India the civil sector can be divided into two categories, 1) the organized realm – which confronts, cooperates and seeks to bring about change and 2) the informal/ voluntary realm – which engages the broader fabric and builds awareness on immediate issues at the grass root level.

Religious giving…not the only way charity is done

The Indian social order is made up of a complex web of relations deeply rooted in religious and ethnic belonging. Given this, there are a plethora of religious foundations – Muslim, Hindu, and Christian – and secular institutions which are actively involved in the operation and functioning of charitable giving.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), an NGO, is guided by Hindu outlook, philosophy, and has the appearance of a Hindu movement. Nevertheless, ISKON is known to be non sectarian in its ideals and work, opening its doors to one and all. On the other side of the religious spectrum, is the Bazm-e-Niswan charitable trust, a Muslim women’s organization committed to large scale improvement of women’s rights, championing women’s participation in politics, education, while also working to uplift their roles in the household structure and society.

The incentive to give; the seamless act of attributing – even a small – transformation to society, while it may often be driven by religious considerations in India, is in fact, part of a larger spirit to bridge the gap of unequal access. The poor can often find solace and shelter in a Gurudwara – a Sikh temple of worship, or find the threshold of dargahs – tombs of saints – and temples equally welcoming. In a pious society such as India, religious places of worship have adopted systematic practices of feeding the poor, providing clothing, and shelter to the deprived. These are now established practices. And in some places of worship they date back hundreds of years, offering many in the community a lifeline of support and livelihood.

Thus, non profit establishments are not just limited to their niches of propagating a cause. Giving is a larger exercise in India, very often with no defined boundaries. Nevertheless, as civil society eagerly shapes up to meet the complex challenges of the twenty first century, NGO’s have proliferated every functional area of life in India – dealing with issues from the environment and sustainability, healthcare and water, to education and sanitation, operating orphanages and initiating self help groups in impoverished communities.  Abilashrayam, for example, is a non-governmental, non-religious and not-for-profit outfit, devoted to the needs of abandoned or underprivileged children with little or no hope for survival.  In the environmental space, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Greenpeace India are extremely vocal in the promotion of ‘socially just’ conservation. Especially in the backdrop of the Copenhagen Summit, ngo activity on ‘green’ issues has been catalytic.

So is there a route to activism?

Getting involved with an NGO can be as easy as walking into their office and beginning as a regular or part time volunteer. The operation for taking on a cause could even begin from one’s garage!

Take the case of Janaagraha founder, Ramesh Ramanathan – Ramesh left behind a lucrative career at Citi bank in New York to move to Bangalore to start Janaagraha, an NGO, from scratch. Today, Janaagraha has strengthened itself into a movement, with an agenda to increase peoples’ participation in public governance, initiating the planning of local projects, solving local issues, while constantly scrutinizing the functioning of civic governance. Of course, Ramesh and his wife Swati have now expanded Janaagraha to Chennai.

A youth icon, Vishal Talreja, is the Director and Co-Founder of Dream A Dream – an NGO working with over 2000 children from vulnerable backgrounds; helping them develop life skills, while also working to sensitize society through active engagement and volunteering programs.

Vishal’s trajectory into the sector is paving the way for many youth in India who are following suit. Destiny took Vishal and a friend into the private sector to set up an investment bank in India’s financial capital, Mumbai. It was during this period that he spent many weekends with Ashoka Fellow, Matthew Spacie, studying his strategies to improve the lives of children. In 2002, life changed course and Vishal resigned from Technology Holdings, and plunged into a career as a social entrepreneur. He now works full-time on developing his own ideas to give even the most vulnerable children the opportunities necessary to realize their dreams. Vishal actively employs his wider network of old friends and colleagues at work to volunteer and get the word out on Dream A Dream.

Corporatism: Embracing Philanthropy

At first, the intersection of the non profit and private sector would seem rather weak in India, but that isn’t necessarily true. Various multi national companies and ‘home grown’ corporate houses have imbibed and embraced the culture of giving, not just in the transactional – do good – sense but as a ‘business necessity’. It’s a common practice for companies to partner with non profits or establish foundations, to promote a cause that not only creates a local impact, but also makes social sense.

Increasingly, however, executives like Wipro’s founder, Azmi Premji, has set up the Azmi Premji Foundation – contributing a tremendous amount on the education front, especially in giving free education the underprivileged.

Although Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) remains a nascent yet growing theme, the Indian private sector has been more forthcoming in cultivating the notion of ‘conscious capitalism’ within businesses – an idea that richness comes from giving, a thought echoed by Bijou Kurien, President and CEO, Reliance Retail. Needless to say, there’s potential for more active participation, exposure and growth.

This best epitomizes the rich fabric of India: frayed at the edges – but so colorful in its entirety – manifesting a strong social consciousness and desire to reach out to the less fortunate, the needy and deserving. ‘Only until you give away the seed, will you see a harvest’ succinctly captures the nature of India’s philanthropic promise to society. For now this cycle continues unhindered.

As seen in the Charitarian Issue 1 – January 2010