What distinguishes a fringe group from a civil society organisation? To what extent the fringe groups had now altered the significance of civil society’s functions? (200 words)
Refer – Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
· Fringe group - A group that is on the periphery of a larger organization because its views are more extreme than the majority.
· A fringe group and a civil society not necessarily represent a majority.
· Once we take the numbers out of consideration, a major difference between a CSO and a fringe group would usually be that civil society movements have a more rational and morally justified case to make, which is largely absent in the fringe group.
Significance of CSO
· Civil society has the potential to influence policy and project formulation through membership of committees, submission of memoranda directly or through elected representatives, and interactive rule-making in the implementation of policies, projects and schemes affecting citizens.
· Civil society’s functional contribution to good governance could be:
a) Watchdog — against violation of human rights and governing deficiencies.
b) Advocate — of the weaker sections’ point of view.
c) Agitator — on behalf of aggrieved citizens.
d) Educator — of citizens on their rights, entitlements and responsibilities and the government about the pulse of the people.
e) Service provider — to areas and people not reached by official efforts or as government’s agent.
f) Mobiliser — of public opinion for or against a programme or policy.
Effect of fringe groups on CSO
· Fringe groups with no rational view in its intent, dent the significance of the CSO.
· (E.x) The recent controversy surrounding the film Padmavati and the protest against sunny Leone’s performance in Bengaluru.
· With rational argument no longer the sole determinant of the direction public discourse will take, the debates in our country are increasingly between those who would like to take a somewhat old world liberal view, and those who insist their beliefs do not require rational confirmation.
· This degrades the quality of debates and ultimately the welfare of the society.
Secret agent 7 years
Kindly review.
IAS Parliament 7 years
First part is good. Discuss the significance of CSO as well. Keep writing.
