PUBLIC LIFE AND VOLUNTRY SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

PUBLIC LIFE

THE VOLUNTARY SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATIONS have a place of importance in the public life in general and in the socio-economic scheme of society in particular. Considered in the historical perspective, they are of a recent origin. As a matter of fact, their growth in recent times and their non-existence in the past could be attributed to the nature of human existence in the historical and political surroundings in these times. Human life in the past was not so eventful as it is today. What could be regarded as the various aspects of the cultural and civilized life were mostly in a backward and semi-progressive state. Human wants both material and non-material, were very few and far between. There was no richness and fullness in human life in those days and strangely enough it was not desired also. Human existence was more natural than normal. There were no complexities and intricacies in the social life of the individual and the energies of the human beings were more directed towards the search of the unknown. Not that science and increasing knowledge of life did not spurt the imagination of a few in the society. These few did see a full and beautiful life, leading a more sophisticated existence but the prognostications of a few did not materially affect the even tenor of life which the majority sought for. The life of the individuals as the members of the social organization and as citizens of a State was guided by certain norms of behaviour and moral code of conduct with which the individuals were content. The necessity for competitive and complementary associations to supplement the efforts of the society and the State was not felt and if it was felt by some under the pressing urge of advance and progress, their existence would not have been tolerated by the political power which guided the course of social events under its auspices. These conditions underwent a radical change during the last hundred years or so. Tremendous progress was visible in every aspect of human activity—social, economic, political, moral, scientifiec, literary, artistic and aesthetic. Vistas unknown were opened in wild stretches which the developed and scientific intellect of those pioneers in the social and scientific fields could not very well fathom. Development of transport brought together hitherto separated parts of the world and created a feeling of commonness, fraternity and brotherhood. Scientific advance solved the problems of life which were getting more complex with the march of time and made life more material and easier than what was in the past. Literature and art developed bringing out forthwith the hidden and unbounded virtues of human life and created an altogether different political philosophy which gave prime importance to individual in the general scheme of things. These developments were sure to have a profound effect on the life and psychology of the individual through the media of books, newspapers and periodicals that came to be published, widened his horizons, affected his outlook on life and created in him a hankering for a better and rich existence. This process of thinking was accentuated by the developments that were taking place in the socio-economic organisation of the society. Almost every where the villages lost their character of a economic self-sufficiency, mass production replaced and relegated in the background the concept of localised and limited production, a new class, numerically powerful, viz., the working class came into existence and the very panorama of human existence in its economic and social perspective changed. These factors made life more complex and increased the needs of the individual and though they added to the material comforts of life they now made life more machine-like, rigid and a humdrum existence. The tired human intellect started finding avenues where he could refresh his mind and mental faculties and get relief. The State was not, however, a silent spectator of these phenomenal changes that were taking place in human existence and its environments. It had taken upon itself the role of satisfying those human needs and fulfilling those human aspirations which the individual could not do on his own. The power of the State had increased enormously and so also its responsibilities. No State could lead an isolated existence in the world which was now living a life of cooperation. But even the powers of the State failed to respond to the convulsions and the urges that were felt in the inner depths of human mind. The State could supply the material wants of the individuals and create circumstances to make life worth living but it could never touch those inner compartments of human mind which seek satisfaction which cannot be measured in material terms. This urge is diverse and the atmosphere where this urge requires fulfilment is incompatible with the rigours of discipline that go with the functions of the State. Hence the necessity of such outlets where this urge could be fulfilled and where human mind could recapture its essence. This is provided by the Voluntary Social Service Organisations whose very name indicates their voluntary character. These institutions are in a way competitive to the State but they differ from it in that they allow free play to human emotions and volitions and supply the individual with a moral force that the State may be incapable of providing. It may not be misunderstood that their voluntary character and the looseness with which they bind their members implies an inherent weakness in them. As a matter of fact their very voluntary nature provides them with a strength of character which the very powerful of the States may fail to supply because if the State appeals to the intellect of the individual they touch the very core of the human existence that is the heart of the individual. History has proved time and again that if results are to be judged by the means with which they are achieved then these organisations supply a far more powerful means than the one supplied by the State. That does not mean that the aims and objectives of the State and these organisations are conflicting. Far from that, these organisations supplement the efforts made by the State towards the development of human personality and by their power and influence over the lives of the individuals make it rich, resourceful and worth living. They are a part and parcel of the public life and though morally superior they are subordinate and subservient to the political organisation. Their importance in the social organisation cannot be minimised, because they reflect the culture and civilization of the social group of which they form a part. As a matter of fact they represent the various aspects of the public life in a social organisation. They exercise a formative influence on the public opinion which is a conglomeration of distinct social, political and economic views held by the majority of persons in the community. The concepts of public opinion are complex and intricate. If public life is more concerned with the social and cultural sides of human existence and is an expression of individual feeling through social organism, public opinion is more concerned with the political and economic sides of human existence. Both, however, are complementary to each other because the aim of both is to educate the masses and bring about social, political and economic reform. In this context it may be noted that the factors that are responsible to create public life and public opinion may differ in their characteristics and connotation but unequivocally these factors are in one way or the other a representation of voluntary organisations that are working in the society. It is proposed to describe in this chapter a few of such voluntary organisations working in the district of Bhandara, and other aspects of public life in the district such as the press, political representation etc.

Press.—Public life in Bhandara has been enriched by the newspapers which voice popular grievances and suffering of the people from time to time. Though the activities of voluntary social service organisations help in creating healthy and conscious social atmosphere, yet the press is the powerful weapon responsible for moulding and formulating public opinion. In fact the press could be regarded as an agency mainly responsible for creating political consciousness among the different strata of the society. It is the press which discusses freely and sympathetically the grievances of common man and also of the neglected sections of the society.

There are at present eight periodicals in the district which purvey the district news, important national as also international events. Almost all the periodicals are weeklies. A list of these weeklies published from Bhandara district is given below: —

Besides these local periodicals a number of English, Hindi and Marathi newspapers published from Nagpur, Bhopal and Bombay find a wide circulation in the district. These include Tarun Bharat, Nagpur Times, Maharashtra, Hitawada, NavBharat, Yugdharma and Nagpur Samachar (all published from Nagpur) and Times of India, Free Press Journal, Indian Express, Maharashtra Times and Lokasatta (all published from Bombay).

Representation.—Bhandara district has one parliamentary seat for Loksabha. The total number of seats in the State constituencies is 11 of which 9 seats are allotted for State Legislative Assembly and 2 for Legislative Council.

Since 1957 the district has 9 Assembly seats. In 1957, Bhandara and Sakoli constituencies were double-member constituencies with one of the two seats reserved for Scheduled Castes.

After abolition of the double-member constituencies in 1961, the seats from Adyar and Sadak-Arjuni are reserved for Scheduled Castes.

The number of voters on rolls for each Assembly constituency in 1961 was as follows: —

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