Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

`Participation in civil society a duty'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 18. The willingness to speak out, demand accountability and participate in civil society is not just the right of every citizen but also a duty, said Sriram Panchu, senior advocate of the Madras High Court on the occasion of `Adyar Day' and inauguration of the renovated Triplicane Theosophical Society Lodge here yesterday.

``Although Tamil Nadu is one of the few States where we have a Right to Information Act, surprisingly few people have asked the Government for information.''

Defining civil society as the `space between the State and citizens where citizens can participate in the interests of the public,' he suggested that the emergence of civil society was a result of the State's failure to fulfil promises over the decades.

Mr. Panchu observed that India's vibrant civil society is made up of welfare and watchdog organisations, which respectively support and confront the Government. While many welfare organisations often do a much better job than the Government in education, health, disability and women's welfare, there is a danger of the government's responsibility to the people being undermined, he said.

Mr. Panchu attributed the richness of India's civil society to the freedom of the press in the country and the court system with the powerful tool of public interest litigation.

Individuals such as Aruna Roy, M.C. Mehta and H.D. Shouri and organisations such as the Centre for Science and Environment are model civil society actors who have exposed misgovernance in public interest, he said and observed that there is a tendency to treat elected representatives with too much reverence.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• `Preservation of digitised resources, a challenge to information specialists'
• Singapore council expected to boost bilateral tourism
• Growing patronage for share autorickshaws
• `Multilevel lots in bus depots essential'
• `Participation in civil society a duty'
• NGOs, government agencies discuss project to eliminate child labour
• Pallavaram municipality to sink borewells
• Book on marine mammals in India
• GH doctors replace aorta portion
• 70-day music festival inaugurated
• Control room to have integrated call centre
• Pistol stolen from police station
• Held under Goondas Act
• Around the City
• In Chennai Today

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu