NGO’s; Economics, Politics or Social Work?

Hakeem Irfan

The last few years have seen an increasing number of NGO’s appearing on the scene of the Kashmir Valley. This sector has now become one of the professions and is a viable career option. With the courses offered like Masters in social works (MSW) and Masters in Sociology more and more youngsters are attracted towards this sector. Even people from other fields like medicine, management, and media are interested in this field.

What is the mantra that attracts people to this sector? Is it the feel good factor only or there is something else? In Valley number of NGO’s runs in thousands and many of them are from outside Valley “whose organizational setup and reason for being here is not clear.” Although sociologists think that October 8th 2005 earth quake opened pavement for various NGO’s to work in the Valley which are not only working for the affected but in other fields as well. One of the sociologist pleading for anonymity comments “Kashmir is a trouble torn area, here vested interests use different tactics to control the situation and NGO sector is the most vulnerable option for them”. All of us know there is nothing like social work for betterment of our society but what if it is used as a tool against us, he added.

This situation has raised a question mark even on the genuine players in this sector. One of the leading social worker and a doctor by profession says “It has made our life hell as people are taking us as the riders of the same band wagon which are working at the behest of certain vested interests.” Here people are now intelligent enough to know what is happening but they are reluctant to voice their feelings because of the known reasons, he further added. The aura of cladestinalism is surrounding the whole NGO scenario in the Valley. Few of them are making an effort to be transparent and be close to the local populace, but it is diluted by the wrongs of many. NGO’s in present day world are very important as they keep a check on policies of the government and are thought to be the voice of a common man. Manzoor Ahmad an engineer by profession says “I know a person who painted some of the walls in his own area writing ‘Save Dal’ on them and conveyed to NGO that he has done it all over the banks of DAL thus getting a good amount from the concerned NGO, besides he is also a political worker.” What will the fate of development projects if these things happen at such a grass root level, he added with a sigh.

NGO sector is presenting a smoke screen view for a common Kashmiri as he is now unable to recognize the genuine players. Mr. Haris (KAS),a Rural Development Officer laments “Govt. too has funds for NGO’s but we are seeing money minting machines everywhere, there is hardly anybody that we can trust and release our funds to, this results in lapse of funds or corruption in the Govt. department itself”.

There are many international organizations working in the Valley, who are doing well and people are satisfied with their work. “They too are not touching the real standards of the work but at least doing something at the ground level” says Suhail a PG student from sociology deptt. University of Kashmir. There is an emerging concern in the society and people are sensitized towards the fact that NGO’s are now discussing Kashmir problem and are working in the young circles for the sensitization among them according to their own preferences. “This is in contrast of their protocol, although they are doing it under the garb of ‘civil societies’, people from outside supposed to teach us how local populace can take initiatives in this regard” comments, Coordinator of a Human Rights Group. Seminars, debates etc arranged by the NGO’s who were nowhere in the scene are emerging from nowhere, we have to be cautious of this fact as well, he added.

People are making moolah of many kinds out of all this. Instead of changing somebody’s life and giving a new flowering expression and liberation NGO’s are busy with materialistic, capitalistic and political benefits which is available to them all around the valley. Dr. Noor Ahmad Baba, HOD Deptt. Of Political Science, University of Kashmir says “NGO culture is a global phenomenon and in Valley with so many negatives this thing also brings a positive change in the civil society”. NGO’s have to rectify their policies and come out the chicanery they follow at this point of time otherwise they will be always culpable in people’s eyes.
Dr.Anisa Shafi, HOD Deptt. Of Sociology and Social Works comments “NGO sector in the Valley is mostly with the non professionals and we are trying our level best through our courses to develop professional social workers with good ethical code of conduct” she further added “there are embezzlements at present in this sector and it is bringing bad name to whole lot”. Amelioration of the NGO sector is needed and people in this sector should realize this as soon as possible.