Editorial
Govt, NGOs should complement each other
PM's adviser's words reassuring
PRIME ministerial Adviser Gowher Rizvi's reassurance that the government does not have any intention of restricting the activities of NGOs through formulating laws relating to them is certainly welcome. It is because of some happenings in recent times which have convinced a good number of people that a kind of adversarial relationship has been developing between the government and the NGOs. Dr. Rizvi has tried allaying the fears on this account and has gone so far as to suggest that NGOs and the government are partners and so the question of any conflict between the two does not arise.
That is a fair enough assessment of the situation. For NGOs, the need now is to ensure that they do nothing that could even remotely bring their activities into question either in the corridors of power or among the general masses. They are supposed to provide assistance to those people who need to become self-reliant in society. In other words, a crucial objective of NGOs is the empowerment of people who live on the fringes of society; and to our satisfaction most of these NGOs have certainly made a difference in the lives of the poor, especially in the rural interior of the country. Some of them have even gone international, earning a lot of goodwill for the country. And yet one must note with concern that there are some NGOs which have fallen short of expectations because of their inability to perform with desirable levels of accountability and transparency in their operation.
The need in our times is for the government, NGOs and broad civil society to complement one another. Over the years, NGOs have taken much of the pressure off government, particularly where employment generation is concerned, by providing young people with work along with an opportunity to interact with people across social barriers. It is a trend that must be maintained. Any new law must spur the NGOs into more exciting activity, not make them withdraw into themselves.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments