Do civil society events, activism matter?

In early April, Bengaluru played host to two civil society events. One was the release of a ‘people’s manifesto’ by the Civil Society Forum, with the hope that political parties would include their issues in their manifestos; and the other was a “data jam” conducted by OpenCity.in at the Indian Institute of Management, to analyse the data of Bengaluru constituencies in the context of the upcoming Assembly elections. Both events were technically apolitical.

In the Civil Society Forum event, the people’s manifesto demanded administrative reforms, curbing corruption, urban governance, housing, panchayat raj, right to food, health and education, and attention to labour issues, women’s rights, rights of the differently abled, the environment, solid waste management, and transportation.

At the data jam, a number of participants analysed datasets sourced and scrubbed by OpenCity.in for the 28 Assembly constituencies of Bengaluru. The focus areas were education, health, mobility, and civic participation. The key findings were that Bengaluru has a reasonable number of primary health centres/Namma Clinics (if one doesn’t factor migration into the city), but lacks in anganwadis; private schools outnumber public schools; pupil-teacher ratios are very poor in at least 22 constituencies; with 2,900 bus stops and 63 metro stations analysed, at least 10 constituencies had no metro connectivity; the outer constituencies such as Anekal, Bengaluru South, Byatarayanapura and Yelahanka had restricted access to public transport.

Both the events were largely attended by educated and urban civic-minded people; many were part of civil society agencies. People of varied backgrounds like historians, academics, urban designers, GIS experts, software developers, and public health and policy enthusiasts attended. But neither event attracted large gatherings like the crowds seen attending political rallies before elections. At most, there were 30 people at the data jam. What does this say about events like these and our civil society? Does this mean that data-driven analysis is not attractive enough for larger participation? Or perhaps that data and rights-based intellectual analysis is considered so niche that only a select few attend or participate?

Looking at the picture positively, one could say that the 30 participants will then spread the word to their friends, etc. And yet, that seems like a drop in the ocean. The reality is that both events were significant in their own right; in all probability, there is a significant proportion of society that is interested in the results of these events. And yet very few people actually attend.

Perhaps, there isn’t enough incentive to attend; or perhaps the elite/ technical nature of these events dissuades the average citizen from attending. Why do thousands of people attend a rally in Palace Grounds but only a handful attend an event at IIM? In fact, the speeches at the rallies are hardly novel in content and produce little significant thought. But yes, they are the mechanism of political campaigns, mired in money and muscle power, and can produce an energy and excitement evident through the television screen. Rallies can build political movements that ultimately affect policymaking, and these effects arise from influencing political views rather than solely through the revelation of existing political preferences. Research indicates that activists looking to influence public policy should consider rallies to be one of their most effective tools, as opposed to fundraising, door-knocking, or online discussions.

So, this brings us back to our two events of April 1. They were attended by a select few. They actually articulated genuinely interesting facts and policy. And they were given a certain amount of media coverage. While the aims of the participants were genuine and reflect certain urban sections of society, will the results of the events actually translate into policy?

On the surface, no. However, interestingly enough, many of the participants of these two events act as consultants to government, both local and central. So, the events act as a platform for the exchange of ideas between people that are trying to change how policy is made. It is not a direct expression of the democratic process. It is not a huge public expression like a political rally. But yes, these events, in their own small way, brought together a group of people (who attended voluntarily and were not funded by political parties) that can and will change the way policy is made, the way government views data, and the way that governance is applied in this country. As the country gets richer, more educated and exposed to more ways of governance, more young people will demand more from their state, central and local governments. Government will, perforce, have to change and perform better. Events like the OpenCity data jam and the Civil Society Forum will provide both citizens and governments solutions for how to deal with the problems our society faces. It is just a matter of time.

(The writer is an urban planner based in Bengaluru)