The fact that education of the underprivileged is a critical requisite to bring about social change in India has been recognized by many individuals and organizations who want to bring about social reform. Individuals, either single or in groups, and non-governmental organizations have begun working in their own small way to achieve this objective.
They deserve all the accolades for their work in this endeavor, but what is disconcerting is that it does not look like they realize the enormity of the problem. They are mostly working on an ad hoc basis and do not seem to have the vision to attain a wider reach. They mostly concentrate their work on being conduits between the magnanimous donors and a small number of needy children. Fundraising and fund disbursal is the main thing they are involved in if not the only thing.
The donors are almost always the foreign-settled educated Indians with middle class backgrounds. With their newfound financial stability and success, they can afford to be magnanimous. They are thankful to India which gave them the education that they have capitalized on and want to give something back. Also, they derive a sense of satisfaction, of playing part in a worthy social cause. The organizations back home act as effective channels in making good use of the money they provide. In a small way, it is wonderful
work being done.
But is it enough given the enormity of the problem? Is it enough if the organizations inform and enlighten just the potential donors, at home or in foreign lands, of the needy and their needs? Should not efforts need to be made to make the problem of education part of the consciousness of people across all sections of the society? Education is increasingly getting out of reach for a substantial percentage of the population. It is not only the destitute children who are out of the loop. What efforts are being made to reverse the process? Do the children need to depend on the philanthropy of good-natured individuals for what is their fundamental right? What the State, which holds the responsibility, has been doing? Are the organizations making efforts to involve the State or at least remind it of its responsibility?
In our society, education of children is seen as a family issue. And the less said the better about the children without proper families or no families. But the social cost of lives gone wrong would have to be borne by the entire society. It is not a sin to be selfish, but it is simply cruel to be indifferent. The fortunate few should be made aware that they share a responsibility. It is the duty of the organizations to sensitize people about the problem. Also, the underprivileged should be made aware of the importance of education and its role in making them escape the cycle of poverty. It is not just the donors, but the society as a whole that should be made aware that the problem exists.
Making people understand that they have a responsibility too is the job half done. The people, aware of their responsibility, can bring positive pressure upon the government. It goes a long way in realizing the ultimate objective, of making the State accept and fulfill its responsibility of providing every child free and equal education in spite of its social and economic background.
Is it not a wonder that such an important social issue has never been a significant poll issue in our six-decade-long democracy? Have we allowed the definition of democracy to be crystallized into the vote-politics-leaders prototype? Is the State responsible only to maintain the status quo? Is protecting and enhancing the wealth of the privileged the only function of the government? Have people come to accept that the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players?
The existing conditions continue as long as education, the only means of the poor to become upwardly mobile, continues to remain a privilege of the rich. It is not just education, but childhood that is the responsibility of the State. By providing free and equal education, the State helps the child overcome its disadvantages of birth. It will make irrelevant the differences of class, caste, and creed.
The non-governmental organizations and committed individuals should take a holistic approach in trying to solve a problem of this dimension. A concerted effort to involve the public should be made. A parallel can here be drawn to what Gandhiji had done to the Congress. Gandhiji transformed the Indian National Congress from a drawing room discussion forum of the upper middle class into a mass organization. The power capable of change lies always with the masses and the masses alone.
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This article was written in 2005 when my belief that change is possible only through political action was growing. It also marks the beginning of me losing faith in bringing change solely through NGO action. I started searching for avenues to be politically active. This article stresses the need to make the cause of accessible education a political issue rather than trying to mitigate a very minute part of the problem by NGO action alone. It stresses the need for NGOs and individuals to make efforts to remind the public that accessible education is the duty of the society as a whole, which automatically becomes the duty of the government. One can see that I unwittingly used the language of LSP ..........."the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players." Any wonder that I jumped up and joined Lok Satta Party as soon as Dr. JP announced the party in 2006?
