The crackdown on civil society

The crackdown on civil society

Article:

1. Neera Chandhoke, a former Professor of Political Science has talked about the role of civil society in modern democratic state.

Important Analysis:

2. Author has acknowledged the concern posed by the modern democratic state armed with technologies used for surveillance and control the induvial rights.

3. When democratic state decide to terrorise and kill, rights-bearing citizen are more vulnerable.

4. Civil society plays an important role between suffering citizens and the democratic state.

5. Role of Civil Societies

• Civil societies have become the custodian of fundamental rights.
• In a form of association drives their power through petitions, protest and judicial activism.
• Civil society efforts enable citizen access rights and privileges.
• All democratic associations are important but civil liberty and human rights groups are essential for human wellbeing.
• Civil liberty or human rights activists are lawyers, academics, journalists and public minded citizens of India and protect the moral conscience of our society.
• Protected the rights of vulnerable section (e.g. Adivasis, Muslims and Dalits).
• During the emergency (1975-77),citizen’s fundamental rights were suppressed and suspended however the civil liberties movement in the later period has helped them to protect and restore.
• Conducting investigation against the state arbitrary imprisonment, custodial death and encounters and speak against the state.
• Document the real cause of communal and caste violence.
• Provide check and balances against abuse of power by government.

6. There are very few organization like Human rights, who struggle for right to life and liberty.

7. Though all civil societies and media do not perform the same duty. Some of them only focus on the fund.

8. Challenges faced by Civil Societies:

• Political leader dismiss the need of civil societies.
• They are being arrested and prisoned for no reason
• Increasing threat from government and right-wing organization (specialised in violence).
• For example the Maharashtra police has arrested lawyers, poets and academics in Aug 2018 for their defence and violent attack by Hindu right-wing activist on Dalits gathering at Bhima-Koregaon in 2018.

9. Urban Maoism is another term which has no historical or geographical connection who seems to be involved into Bhima-Koregaon violence.

10. Rights to life and liberty are the core of other rights and has caused political revolution in the past.

11. A well-known Italian theorist has concluded revolution only occur when government directly suppress or attack on the society as it happens in Russia. Author refer this a Boomerang Effect.

12. However this can be avoided with the presence of civil societies who take the burden on their shoulders.