Inclusive Society Ensures Dignified Role for All

By Suresh Kr Pramar

India has still a long way to go to qualify as a really inclusive society. While the country has made outstanding economic progress and the number of super rich have increased, the gap between the rich and the poor has increased. According to latest figures the number of  those living under the poverty line is estimated at 37 percent of the total population of the country.

The strains of a non inclusive society are all too evident in the newspaper headlines every morning In last two decades income inequality has doubled in India according to a report by the Paris based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 1990s the top 10 percent of wage earners used to earn 6 times more than the bottom 10 percent, which has now doubled and become 12 times. The top 10 percent of earners make almostfive times more than the median 10 percent, but this median 10 percent makes just 0.4 times more than the bottom 10 percent.

What is an inclusive society? According to the Expert Group on Promoting Social Integration, “An inclusive society is one that over-rides differences of race, gender, class, generation, and geography, and ensures inclusion, equality of opportunity for all members of the society to determine an agreed set of social institutions that govern social interaction.” The World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen 1995) defines it as a “society for all in which every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play”.

This rise of fiscal inequality has a relative rise in the rewards to well-educated individuals who have benefited from the advance of new technologies. The report found that this technological progress made in the manufacturing and service sectors, has mostly benefited highly – skilled workers, and left behind the little educated or trained Gandhiji was perhaps the first Indian leader to call for creating an inclusive society   through his concept of Trusteeship. “Earn your crores but understand that your wealth is not yours; it belongs to society. Take what you require for your legitimate needs and use the remainder for society.” Mahatma Gandhi said while earning profit was right the businessman needs to show concern towards his less fortunate fellow beings

Over the past two decades, Corporate Social Responsibility has found strong support among Indian business houses. According to The World Business Council For Sustainable Development, CSR is “the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the work force and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.” CSR within companies can become an important driver of inclusive development.

The present socio-economic environment necessitates that industry plays a more constructive role for achieving inclusiveness and complementing the ongoing efforts of Government and civil society in enhancing social equity. Poverty, employment and sustainable development are the challenges facing the creation of an inclusive society. When we talk of industry’s efforts to promote inclusive development we refer mainly to the responsibility of business towards the community/society. Every business house which claims to practice CSR is involved in community beneficial projects. Studies indicates that a majority of these community investments are in the area of education, health and livelihood creation.

There are several critical areas wherein industry/business can play a role in creating an inclusive society. I will take up only five which I feel are very important. These are Poverty Eradication, Education, Health, Livelihoods and tribal development. These are not the only issues which require attention but for want of space I will take up only these at present.

Poverty is the key challenge. It limits the access of people to the most basic levels of social inclusion, in the form of material deprivation, such as the inability to afford shelter and buy food. The poor often lack the will and capacity to act, are psychologically disempowered, as they feel excluded from the greater society, and discouraged from becoming visible, participating and contributing.

Industry/business can help fight poverty by providing increased employment.In his address to the CII National Conference a few years ago former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, stressed on the need to generate increased employment. He said “Employment generation is one important pillar of any strategy of inclusive growth we must focus on creating far more jobs in manufacturing.  It is imperative that we rapidly expand the creation of jobs in the manufacturing sector which alone can absorb the large surplus manpower in our rural areas. This is an axiom which all political leaders and opinion makers must realise if we have to provide a decent livelihood to all our people.”

Industry can create opportunities for vocational training to enable job seekers acquire skills in different trades thereby making them employable. The common refrain among industries in new locations is that they do not get the right types of skills in the local community. Business Houses  need to set up training programmes to train local youth to man some of the positions in the organization. Many organizations have started such training centres where different trades are being taught.