Securing Civil Society - Activists' Arrest | Current Affairs

What is the issue?

The Pune Police raided rights activists and academicians across the country and arrested five top activists, allegedly for Maoist links.
The arrests have come as the latest blow inflicted on civil society for arbitrary reasons.

What are the recent developments?

In a democracy, the individual transits from subject to citizen.
But the modern democratic state is armed with technologies of surveillance and control.
With this, it had come to possess extraordinary power.
In effect, rights-bearing citizen of the democratic state has become more vulnerable.
A democratic state has started to terrorise, kill and drill fear in the mind of the body politic.
The other dominant institution, the market, is largely amoral.
It is increasingly becoming indifferent to human suffering.
It cares little for citizens exploited by the state and by its own need for resources, labour, and profit.

How did the civil society evolve?

In the aftermath of the Emergency (1975-77), civil liberties movement made a strong appearance.
The movement eventually developed into a human rights movement.
It took on a significant task of protecting the fundamental right to life and liberty.
These two rights lie at the core of other rights which are critical for human beings.
It incorporates the right not to be tortured or killed, right not to be arrested and imprisoned without due cause, etc.
Civil society is now a more plural sphere with all manners of associations.
It ranges from football clubs to reading groups to film fan societies.

How significant is the civil society?

Society - Civil liberty and/or human rights activists are lawyers, academics, journalists and public minded citizens of India.
It is the human concern for the poor and the vulnerable that works as their driving force.
Civil society activists are instrumental in protecting the overall moral conscience of the society.
Rights - Human rights groups have become the custodian of the Constitution's Fundamental Rights.
They have investigated cases of

These organisations have documented the causes and triggers of communal and caste violence.
They have protected the rights of vulnerable sections of people, the Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims.
Check - A vibrant civil society helps citizens access the centres of power and privilege.

It stands between the individual, and the omnipresent and omnipotent state.
It has the capacity to challenge the brute power of the state.
Petitions, protests, dharnas and ultimately judicial activism are instrumental in achieving their goals.

Why is civil society crucial now?

Over 10 years ago, civil society spoke for the right to food, employment, education, information and land.
Today, few organisations demand the right not to be lynched and struggle for right to life and liberty.
Governments are starting to repress civil societies that are in clash with their ideology.
Right wing organisations are seeking to dominate the space between the individual, market and state.
With these having serious consequences, the civil society's role is more crucial for democracy now than ever before.

Source: The Hindu

Securing Civil Society - Activists' Arrest