Open AccessM. L. Dantwala, Harsh Sethi and Pravin Visaria. Social Change through Voluntary Action. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1998. Hardback. Indian Rs 325.00. 199 pages.
Author(s) -
Rizwan Ul Haq
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
pakistan development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.154
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 0030-9729
DOI - 10.30541/v38i1pp.119-120
Subject(s) - localism , grassroots , redress , voluntary action , context (archaeology) , poverty , voluntary association , sociology , politics , political science , action (physics) , power (physics) , government (linguistics) , criticism , social change , social science , political economy , law , agency (philosophy) , linguistics , philosophy , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
This book is an• extremely valuable addition to a veryimportant topic concerning development issues at the grassroots levels.It has highlighted the contribution of voluntary organisations andproved that voluntary action can• be a potent instrument for bringingabout social change, for eliminating poverty and for building anegalitarian and humane society. In the introduction, the editors remindthe readers of the unfulfilled promises made before, and afterindependence, by leaders to banish poverty and inequality. Five of theeleven chapters in this book take a macro view of the context, thenature as well as the future of voluntary action in India: Thesearticles describe the current state of affairs, the degeneration of thevalues of sacrifices and an unending quest for money and politicalpower. So, it is argued, that basic values in public behaviour can berestored through vigilant and purposive voluntary action. But a majorcriticism of voluntary groups is their localism, small size,fragmentation and the failure to institutionalise them. The editors areof the view that thousands of such groups can collectively contribute tosocial transformation through their modest efforts at organising helpfor the needy, redress their• grievances and fight against atrocitiesinflicted on them. The articles evaluate the contextual factorsinfluencing the emergence of voluntary organisations and theirapplicability to the Indian situation.