Noted social worker Ashok Nanda has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to reconsider the decision to amend the Societies Registration Act for renewal of every organisation in five years.
In a memorandum to the CM, Nanda mentioned that the Act enacted in 1860 during British rule to give formal recognition to group work. It was introduced to give legal status to associations of people. In democratic traditions, individual identity and freedom is as important as association’s identity and freedom. Thus, there was no clause of renewal of registration or periodic validation.
Historically various organizations registered as societies have contributed in the fields of culture, media, philanthropy, sports, health, education, tribal development, SC empowerment and international relationship etc. The legal persons created under the Act have enhanced opportunities to fulfill democratic aspirations of the citizens. In fact these associations are legal citizens working as strong pillars of democratic culture. It is worth mentioning here that structural democracy is only a component of democracy and not the whole of it.
The recent State Cabinet decision to make it mandatory for the societies to renew their registration every five years is not justified as legal citizens called societies would fail to exist if not
renewed.
“The amendment of the Act for periodic renewal of societies is an attempt to murder some of the remnants of democracy in Odisha. The very thought represents Monarchial attitude of the dark era,” he remarked.
It reveals how the oligarchy of a democratic Government is scared of any free opinion, he remarked further, adding, “There are various avenues available with the Government to control natural citizens and legal citizens like societies against any misadventure rather than bringing in such draconian provisions. Government has enacted various new laws to control anti social activities.”
During the last 10 years, the Government has already squeezed NGOs. On the call of PM, very few NGOs could come forward to support the society during the Covid crisis since NGOs have been pushed to crisis. The successive rulers unfortunately lacked far sight and vision, he said.
“The amended Act would create petty opportunities for petty officials to exploit the registered societies during their renewal. Most of them will be forced to bribe the officials. It seems the petty minds of the top Babus who are corrupt to core are keenly interested to make every society corrupt,” he observed.
If the Act is amended, many social organisations like the Utkal Sammialani will cease to exist, he pointed
out.