Civil Society In Search Of Perspective

Michael Ignatieff articulates the virtue of civil society: “Without civil society, democracy remains an empty shell; without civil society, the market becomes a jungle.” Sensing the vitality of democracy, Nepali civil society groups have performed key roles in democratic education, human rights, health, community building, network expansion, organising discourse, mediation and offering relief to the needy. A peaceful transformation of Nepal’s public sphere spurs modernity. The silent social revolution harboured by them in Nepali villages and towns has offered the political parties and citizens critical energy to speak, stir up and claim the rights and reshape power and wealth relationships in society. 

They defend popular sovereignty rooted in individual liberty and participatory democracy. It is rooted in human rights and accountability of power to those affected by its exercise. In search of a good life, Nepali civil society since antiquity has tried to enlighten the public about their duties to nature, culture, nation and humanity. Modern rights-based civil society groups face problems in areas of autonomy, membership, charity work, supporting the marginalised, rural orientation, resource utilisation, and self-governance measures within their capacity and competence. Their relationship with other actors is unsettled.

Social contract

Nepali state is very weak in mediating between citizens and democracy. A decade-long insurgency and counter-insurgency operations have eroded the state’s monopoly on power, taxation and loyalty of citizens. Civil society groups complement the development and political functions of the state and provide the resilience to citizens’ initiatives to cope with their problems. Their social movements have liberalised the nature of traditional politics from status-bound to social contract, altering the functions of the state and seeking to universalise the dignity of Nepalis. 

The vision of civil society groups based on freedom, social justice, solidarity and peace will continue to hold relevance as universal reference points to improve the condition of Nepalis caught in poverty, inequality, hierarchy and patriarchy. The task ahead is how to establish a congruency of interest between the sectoral social action of civil society and national action of the state and make both sets of actors inclusive, visible, representative and accountable to the larger public. Building strong informational networks of association can lead to enhanced faith in the possibilities of modern life.