Is our society really civil?

In the contemporary world Civil Society has become an integral part of everyday discussions, entailing from practising positive politics to bring about intellectual revolutions, civil society has become talk of the towns, everywhere. Be it a comfortable coffee shop, an overcrowded bus stop, a busy railway station, a famous book stand, a sophisticated airport lounge or just a tea stall thronged by gossip mongers , everyone seems to be so worried about the society, and as a responsible citizen tends to modify things in a positive manner. Of late, it has been quite evident that most of the civil societies came into existence because of the never quenching thirst of getting attention.  It would be harsh to judge it all but leaving a few exceptions aside, the very honest conviction of Civil Society has failed badly.

 

The common man is fighting a battle against this pseudo socialism existing in the society today, he tried to convey a message to everyone that nation comes first & humanity should be our priority in every case, no matter how hard the situation becomes. He has always stood tall against every social evil all his life fighting for the rights of human being an institution alone, when needed. Corruption & Communalism have always been his enemies, and he is fighting with them alone. Several times, he decided to take a revolutionary step, to have his cravings for safeguarding human rights of every Indian. It’s high time we must ask ourselves the big questions that, are we civil or even social, to the core of our souls? No, we aren’t, because had we been, The common man would not be fighting his battle alone.

Industrial intervention made Social Work as an emerging sector and it has evolved as the centre of now, business houses came forward to be a part of this, in order to chisel out a good repute for their already functional enterprises. Politicians too, realized the need of being social and hence began to be a part of the social gatherings every fortnight in name of social welfare. Media persons too hunting for some breaking news added glamour to such gatherings, fuelling the Page3 culture amongst the wannabe celebrities. It’s all the same thing as the idioms says, Old Rum in New Bottle. Welfare is absent from most of these party, it has just become a trend & everyone is reaping benefits made available via funding by global agencies. Nobody cares. We need to be more civil in our conducts to reach out and tell the common man that he is not alone.

Solution in Action

Scientists have informed for years about the repercussions of rising Carbon dioxide level in the environment. Today, developed nations are celebrating their industrial and commercial success while most of the third world countries are afflicted by droughts, floods, storms and low agricultural productivity. And, this not the end of a crisis, a large part of the earth is bemoaning on food scarcity, hunger, malnutrition and untimely deaths. Besides, they are forced to leave their homes due to the adversities of nature. As per the 'Migration and Global Environmental Change' report, around 190 million people in Asia and Africa will turn homeless by 2060, just because of natural catastrophes caused by climate change.

 

Provision of food, education, infrastructure, medical services and sanitation to millions of refugees will be a great challenge to Asian and African countries. The large scale migration can even spark territorial violence between native dwellers and immigrants. Such violent activity arouses the need of more police personnel and fast law and order machinery which can be made effective only after an increase in the public expenditure. Governments now have to choose between infrastructure and security, as both the areas cannot be addressed simultaneously due to the limited public funds. The recent earthquake in Nepal has terribly shaken the economy of a country that was already in crisis. Thousands of people are still unable to find a decent shelter and adequate livelihood. Consequently, they are compelled to migrate to India and other neighbouring countries. Scientists believe that the next 20 to 30 years will be more challenging to the entire world and especially the third world countries.

In the 1960s, carbon dioxide levels rose at a rate of 0.7ppm a year and today it is moving up at a rate of 2.1ppm annually. Environmentalists often say that unplanned urbanisation, unmonitored industrialisation, and uncontrolled sale of automobiles are mainly responsible for the rising pollution problems. Of course, these are the prime contributors, but it is the lack of political will which is unable to put a tab on this global monster. It is the time to take some concrete decision lest nothing shall be left, except guilt and remorse. Being a constitutional matter advocate, I request all to come forward, join hands with active NGOs working honestly in this regard and pursue the authorities to take stern decisions who are violating the laws. Although, it is a tough task, but our unflinching determination and mutual support can once again make this earth a suitable place to live.    

Women Safety in the Corporate World

Since the earliest human civilizations, women joined men in the establishment of society, trade, commerce and all other productive activities. On an average women comprises about 32% of the workforce in Indian IT Industry, which employs close to three million direct and 10-12 million people indirectly. The contribution of women in the growth of the economy has been immense and it is the responsibility of government and industries to provide a safe and secure working environment for women in the country on the urgent basis because crime against women is severely affecting their social and economic conditions.

The issue of women's safety at the workplace is of prime importance and utmost concern and every big or small firm need to take care of it. Women security should be high on priority for every organization, therefore, it is quite necessary that companies should constantly review the security policy and safety measures. Employers must ensure that the workplace is violence-free for all employees, including women by enforcing zero tolerance policies against verbal or physical abuse, sexual harassment and any other form of violence. 

Things to Remember!

A woman employee must honestly assess her strength as well as weaknesses and based on this self-appraisal she must explore a career option that hones her skills and subdue the limitations. This way she can make a confident entry in the industries and avert potential performance threats from her male counterparts. Confidence makes you strong and prepare you to take workplace challenges in a very positive manner. So, never compromise with your performance and always bang on the critics with your superb records. 

Focus on 3Cs

Coordination, co-operation and communication are the three strong weapons for every employee to protect oneself from all sorts of attacks and conspiracies.  Coordinate well with people in your team, co-operate others at their calls, especially of women workers and communicate with the authorities and other female employees in a state of danger or doubtful circumstances, speak-up, if you ever notice something wrong. Be ready to nip the bud and avail all communication media available at the office premises. Women with their smart EQ and good communication skills can control every situation, practice these 3Cs effectively to avoid workplace problems. 

Education has been a great enabler in the development and empowerment of women. The government has also started mobile apps to ensure safety of women in Metro cities. For example Delhi police has recently started a new mobile app known “Himmat” where women can ask for help at any time anywhere. Women should be educated about the measures and actions to be taken in case of any emergency.

Human Trafficking is a Blot on Humanity

Gladys Lawson writes in her book Blood Borne Connections, “I know that my future will be better than my past because I believe & will act on my belief.” Human Trafficking in India is not an alarming issue at present, but nobody can deny its embarkation into the Indian lands via Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Tibet. Going by definitions, there is a significant difference between migrations and trafficking, the former one being a self-motivated event and the latter being a forced one, but the need of the hour is to realize and act according to the differences as trafficking is going to be a major problem for India due to the fact that it shares open and permeable borders with many neighbors.

 The United Nations Organization (UNO) identifies Human Trafficking in persons as a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. In the contemporary world, almost every country is tackling with this serious problem and is reasonably affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims.

In India some NGOs have taken a considerably effective stand at the very outset of it, to name a few, Prajwala, Not For Sale, Apne Aap & Bachpan Bachao Andolan, are the front-runners which are working effectively to eradicate this global social evil. Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by threatening,  use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim for the purpose of exploitation, which includes sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs. It could be well acknowledged as a fatal issue as it was recently portrayed in a highly acclaimed Turkish television drama Kurtlar Vadisi woven in the backdrop of the infamous Abu Ghareb Prison Scandal. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

The sense of respect for humanity is fast disappearing from the evil minds around the world, eyeing the fat profits in the illegal trade through trafficking of humans, these criminals are committing a crime against the entire humanity, which makes it very important for India to put a thorough cap over the shared borders through which trafficking cases have been recorded in order to make this world a better place for humanity to live.