Democracy at the grassroots cannot be strengthened without a tradition of public service and spirit of voluntarism. These promote cooperation among people and between the people and the Government, said by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in an address to an All India Conference on the role of voluntary sector in national development in 2002.
He compared nation building to a chariot that is driven by five horses such as the Central Government, State Government, PRIs, private sector and voluntary organisations.There is a national policy on voluntary sector in 2007 and the Planning Commission has recognised the increasing role of voluntary agencies in national development.In the recent times, social development organisations have been recognised as an important part of social sector along with other actors of social development.
The privatisation process has reduced the role of Government and paved the way for increasing role of NGOs.Huge public money pulled from various sources is spent by private organisations in social sector spending. The social sector becomes a source of employment and many professional courses are designed by institutions to meet the demand. The character of social work has been qualitatively getting transformed to fit into modern management.
In a backward State like Odisha with huge poverty, backwardness in health and education, the issue of social inclusion is important because of a large presence of marginalised communities who lag behind almost in each and every aspect of human development and their under representation in different walks of life is a matter of concern in the context of their overall development.
Their sufferings are linked to age-old feudal social structure, caste, patriarchy, religious traditions and customs which are still prevalent in social life and shaping the identity of people in society.
It is not just the programme of poverty eradication but also the representation in decision making, planning and execution of plan and programmes by the underprivileged is important. Because they are not given a chance to play a role in social life for centuries, generations together and forced to segregation, occupational restrictions through religious sanctions and limiting themselves to their own social sphere.
The social sector actors play a vital role in promoting social development but the sector itself should be inclusive of all social groups to ensure democratic participation through representation of all.But it has been observed that the social sector in the State is monopolised by a few without a proportionate representation of marginalised groups such as Dalit, Adivasies, minorities and women.
In Odisha, they constitute a major part of the population and remain under-represented in social sector. It has been told that their representation will ensure participation and lead to development but the private social development organisations, NGOs, trusts, societies, welfare associations, religious bodies and corporate foundations operating in the State with support of Government, international agencies, bilateral and multilateral projects, public sector under-taking for social development of the poor and marginalised are largely under represented by people from marginalised groups while there is a need for promoting voluntarism, self-help among these groups for their development.
It is being observed that along with other activities, majority of the organisations mostly focus their work on Adivasis, Dalits, minorities, women, urban poor but the leadership in board and staff structure, decision making bodies of many of these organisations remain in the hands of men belonging to upper class and upper caste and the social composition of these organisations has not changed to include the historically left out communities .
The social workers of the sixties with Gandhian and Marxist ideology are mostly from the educated upper caste communities of Odisha wh have volunteered commendable work among the poor and marginalised in remote, rural and tribal areas but their decades long intervention has not promoted effective leadership from among marginalised communities.
Barring a few upper caste women, the women of the marginalised groups are almost invisible as actors of social development in a leadership role.Why representation is important because it is accepted worldwide that self-help and self-initiative are vital to change. That is why a women commission is headed by a woman; minority commission headed by representatives of minority communities, SC and ST commission headed by representatives of these groups. It will give confidence and boost the morale of these groups with a sense of equality.
It is further observed that a large proportion of development spending is targeted to the historically marginalised communities and the benefits generated in the form of employment and other ways largely goes to the employees of development sector who are mostly men from upper caste and upper class.
They also publicly have the privilege to crown with social recognition as liberator of these historically marginalised groups.There are thousands of self governing NGOs and hundreds of donors operating in the State without an inclusive social character and shamelessly justifying their work with availing a more decent benefit than the identified beneficiaries of their work.Why such contrast that the people working for change are not changing the social character of their own sector.
It has also been reported that the senior functionaries in social sector are not sensitive to social issues of caste and gender and the mindset affects the decision making process.
There have been also complaints of gender based discrimination, sexual harassment, untouchability practice and caste based discrimination, supremacy, ethnic and religion based discrimination which need to be considered seriously while building inclusive values.The national policy on voluntary sector in 2007 and the 12th five year plan (2012-2017) social sector have identified a major task to empower the SCs and STs to participate in society and nation building on an equal basis with others.
As part of affirmative action in social sector, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs put terms and conditions under the schemes of grant in aid to voluntary organisations working for the SCs and STs.
It is said that the organisation will make reservation for the SCs and STs, etc in the post and services under their control on the line of the instruction issued by the Government of India and as amended from time to time.
The Constitution of India speaks about equality to ensure social justice. In the Government jobs the marginalised groups are somehow represented due to policy of affirmative action
in form of reservation.
This has to be realised in social sector which carries the ideas of affirmative action by making space for all including women and all social groups, minorities in their decision making process, planning and execution work by sharing available resources, opportunities and benefits.
It will have wider impact on social life and promote a culture of equality and fraternity among social groups.
(The writer is a rights activist who can be contacted at ojaabbsr@gmail.com)