Why in Broadcast?

• The Plenary Session of the CIVIL20 India 2023 was inaugurated at Nagpur in March 2023. The motto for C20 India 2023 is #YouAreTheLight.

About Civil20

• C20 India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) around the world to voice the people’s aspirations to the world leaders in G20.
• It was inaugurated in the presence of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.

Role of Civil Societies in India

• As per the EU, civil society means “All types of social action carried out by individuals or groups who are not related to, or managed by, the state”.
• They have a prominent role to play when it comes to the protection, prevention, promotion, and transformation of people, communities or democracy as a whole.

Civil Societies in History

• Societies like Brahmo Samaj, and Arya samaj envisioned socially transforming society towards progressiveness. Similarly, the trade unions like NTUF, AITUC etc. became the voice of the marginalized.

Civil Societies After Independence

• Although, the zeal of swadeshi can be attributed to the partition of Bengal, the love for swadeshi still is a very crucial part of the culture that is also reflected in the initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The Bhoodan movement by Vinobha bhave, the Chipkoo movement or organizations like FICCI etc. are some of exemplary instances where necessary intervention was given by civil society groups that worked wonders for the society.

Civil Societies Around The World

• The organizations like World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Greenpeace, Amnesty International are some of instances that depict how civil societies can bring a change that benefits all.
• The civil societies fill the implementation gap and act as a check in legislation.

Government Initiatives

• The government time and again has equally projected the enthusiasm for promotion of civil societies in India.
• Be it through, Panchayati Raj Institutions, or institutions like NABARD, promoting self help groups etc.
• India has around 1.2 SHGs in which 88% are all women SHGs which mirrors the notion of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas.

Conclusion

• B.R. Ambedkar once explained the importance of a liberal-secular civil society: “The roots of democracy lie not in the form of Government, Parliamentary or otherwise... The roots of Democracy are to be searched
  in the social relationship, in terms of associated life between the people who form a society.”
• The role of civil society hence is major step stone that needs to be consolidated, promoted and should be made empowered and C20 is a crucial step towards this achievement.