Evolution of volunteerism in India Gaining political independence was not the only dream of the Father of the Nation. Gandhi ji also envisioned a country, which is freed from social and economic misery. During the time of independence, abject poverty, marginalization along with many other social evils were rampant in the country. Hence, his vision of freedom transcended mere political dimension of independence, for him the truest form of independence meant emancipation from those untoward socio-cultural evils. Due to partition when communal violence broke out in the country, many citizens came forward to provide shelter, food and medicines to the affected people. These individuals in the long run gave boost to the voluntary sector in India. Many of them started the social movements and voluntary organizations, which are popularly known as ‘Gandhian Organizations’.
The importance of volunteers in the country One of the major pitfalls within the contemporary discourse on volunteerism is that the concept has become much skewed. Currently, many interpret volunteerism as a one-time gesture of a particular individual who dedicates some time or skill for a social cause. While, we admit that this is also an expression of volunteerism, limiting its canvas in this manner poses a serious challenge to us. The spirit of volunteerism should, and it has to, encompass much more. It needs to be understood beyond part-time engagements. The truest nature of volunteerism is internally driven and it is principle centered and value oriented. The voluntary sector cannot even think of creating a deeper impact in the society without the contribution and dedicated commitments of these individuals. Considering the perennial shortage of funds, desire of innovations and rising expectations can only be managed with the support of volunteers. There are several subject experts who otherwise are beyond the reach of the voluntary sector dedicate themselves to the mission of voluntary organizations. Unfortunately, many a times contribution of volunteers goes unrecognized by the organizations, and by the government. Sometimes we see them as free or subsidized workforce, who come, contribute and disappear. Even the National Policy on the Voluntary Sector, which defines the relationship between state and voluntary sector, has not given due attention to the volunteers.
Preserving and promoting volunteerism in India Before we enter into a discussion on preserving and promoting volunteerism in India, we need to bear in mind that just like any other practices volunteerism too has undergone some changes. It is being perceived and understood in a different manner today. These changes can be due to many factors:
The religious and cultural values, which once triggered the people to volunteer for the society, have been declining in the society; The onset of many global ideologies like liberalization, globalization etc. have had their impact on volunteerism as they had on any other practices. Currently, lives are
viewed and lived differently. As a result, the approach towards the practice of volunteering has changed. We need to be bold enough to accept the fact that the younger generation is not as eager as the previous ones to enter into the dialogue of development in the form of volunteerism. Hence, it is necessary that we make collective effort to ensure that we make adequate steps to preserve and promote one of the finest practices in our country.
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