By: Sheik Gulzaar
Role of NGOs in India
The poor of the land does not need charity; what they need is access to equal opportunities and levelling of the playing field so that they can also compete in the market-place on an equal footing. It is the capacity-building, not income transfers, that can transform the lives of the poor. Only the grass root movement reach the poorest of the poor. Government projects face great difficulty in targeting such groups. The poorest section of the society needs to be organised into viable groups, which can assume the responsibility of their own development as a community. And this is where the NGO’s come in with the role of civil society organisations or non-governmental organisations to chalk out programmes and projects targeting community problems.
The tradition of civil society initiatives for community development is still in its infancy in our part of the world. But it is only fair to recognise the fact that all NGO’s efforts are not motivated by the community itself. Self-interest is an important motivation too. In fact, many NGO’s reflect the personal ambitions of some rich do-gooders or a cynical effort to exploit the generosity of foreign donors or the patronage of the Government. For instance, out of more than 2 lakhs of NGOs//Trustus/ formally registered in India, there are only a few which have credibility and standing. A thorough, in-depth evaluation of NGO activities in India can easily prove the credibility of their working.
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