NGOs- A BRIDGE BETWEEN LAW AND SOCIETY -Shubhankit Pattnayak

India has a long history of labouring and offering assistance to others. We have heard tales of how people used to support one another and work together during trying times since the beginning of time.

When people realised that they needed to stick together to survive in this world and that their unity and cooperation would shield them from future challenges, society ordered to survive in this world and that their unity and cooperation would shield them from future challenges, and society as a whole came into being. If we delve a little deeper to understand how society came into being, we will discover this. As a result, the idea of assisting others is a novel one in Indian culture.

Even the ruling class once extended assistance to the underprivileged. A few of the events that inspired people to band together and aid others were earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, famines, landslides, etc. They believed that by voluntarily assisting others, they were performing a service to God, which would help them find spiritual salvation or make up for their wicked conduct.

However, organisations and associations weren't created until the 18th and 19th centuries to provide this kind of assistance to society in a more organised way. Numerous non-profit organisations grew throughout India's struggle for independence. These organisations tended to be liberal and free of caste and racial prejudice. Gandhi Ji was primarily concerned with the social injustices being practiced in India at the time, and as a result, NGOs were crucial in raising awareness of these injustices and ultimately helping to eradicate them. Since then, millions of NGOs have grown, working round-the-clock for the benefit of the population. These organisations have shown to be a bridge between the wealthy and the destitute, between those who have and those who do not. They were successful in serving as a link between the rural and urban areas.

As we all know India has traditionally upheld the idea that everyone in the world belongs to the same family, or “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. Non-Governmental Organizations operate under the same tenet of selfless service to others. NGOs are essential in determining a nation's success. The primary motto of NGOs is "Working for the People, By the People, Of the People." NGOs are volunteer organisations; they are commonly referred to as NGOs since they are not subject to governmental regulation. They adhere to the democratic ideal and welcome everyone who wants to alter society by serving the needs of the populace. 

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN LAW AND SOCIETY

Since their inception, law and society have had a special relationship; it wouldn't be incorrect to argue that they are two halves of the same coin.

However, NGOs that are created under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 (hereafter the Act) can address the issue of the convergence of the law and society. NGOs often work primarily at the grassroots level of any social or economic cause that has an impact on society either directly or indirectly.

As we've already covered, NGOs strive to alter society through their selfless volunteer efforts in addition to raising awareness of important issues. As a result, they engage in several campaigns and activities that have an effect on both the individual and the larger society, acting as a social catalyst. Even though the NGOs' efforts are impressive, they also have a larger responsibility: closing the gap between the law and society or, more precisely, making the law and society more compatible. The general constraints and restrictions on human action set forth by the state are what is meant by law. Since social standards significantly impact law, we might claim that law itself is a component of society. Even though law is only a tool of the state, it has the power to alter society by bringing about some radical social reforms and changes. In the case of Joseph Shine v. Union of India, the Hon'ble Supreme Court also clarified its intents as a judicial body and by the use of the authority provided to it by Article 142 of the Constitution.

Even though it is now impossible to make law and society completely compatible, NGOs must play a significant role in achieving this. To better effectively enforce the law in society, both the law and society would need to alter at the same time. The law and society can once again converge if NGOs play a role in educating the public about legal changes in the nation, the benefits and drawbacks of various laws, and the direct and indirect consequences those laws have on society.