Conscience, Courage, and Community

My Tryst with Civil Society and the Concerned Citizens

Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili

The encounter that changed my outlook. There are moments in life when a casual conversation alters one’s worldview. For me, one such evening remains etched in memory. At a family gathering, I met the late M. Shafi Pandit, a distinguished civil servant remembered for his integrity, honesty, and deep commitment to social reform long after retirement. Unlike many who fade into quietude after public service, Pandit Sahib reinvented himself as a “samajh sudharak”—a reformer. From the Pensioners’ Committee to help groups and eventually the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), his post-retirement journey was a model of how conscience and courage extend beyond official chairs. During our discussion, he made a distinction that has stayed with me: charity and change are not the same. Charity—distributing food during floods or medicine during pandemics—touches lives momentarily. Change, however, addresses root causes, builds systems, and ensures sustainable improvement. His advice was clear: “Join us. Write less, act more. Bring your professional expertise to a collective voice.”
Fe w days later, a call from Mr. Khurshid Ganie, IAS (Retd.), Pandit Sahib’s successor in steering GCC, deepened my conviction. His advocacy—that collective ideas, professionalism, and expertise can, when pooled, reach the highest chairs of authority—was convincing and logical. It left me no reason not to join this platform of eminent officers, lawyers, academics, and social activists. That evening was my entry point into Kashmir’s civil society.
What Makes a Citizen “Concerned”? Education, professional status, or social rank do not define a concerned citizen. It is the restless conscience that does. Such a person refuses silence when injustice, inefficiency, or decay stares society in the face. Late M. Shafi Pandit exemplified this spirit. He could have chosen a life of comfort, but instead, he turned his wisdom into action. His legacy reminds us that civil society is not a press release, a photo-op, or a letterhead. It is an organism of people who see wrongs, care enough to respond, and persist even when ignored or criticized.
The Gavel Isn’t Enough: Your Civic Duty Calls. Beyond slogans and symbolism Are You a member or a Mover? more than a member be a movement. Civil society in Kashmir has often been accused of symbolism—memorandums, photo sessions, and seminars. While these tools have value, they are not ends in themselves.
Beyond the Lapel Pin: Activism in Action.True civil society must be apolitical yet not indifferent. It must rise above party lines, but remain deeply “apolitical” in the sense of caring only about public accountability. Its role lies in a four-step cycle:Awareness – educating the public. Advocacy – presenting evidence-based concerns. Accountability – monitoring governance and private practices. Action – piloting initiatives that can later be scaled up by the state. Only through this cycle can civil society act as a conscience-keeper of democracy, even in polarized environments.
Four Urgent Civilian Fronts for Kashmir; As Kashmir stands at a crossroads, civil society must set aside token gestures and focus on doable, high-impact priorities. Environmental & Ecological Security.Our wetlands are shrinking, Dal and Wular are dying, forests are depleted, and the Achan landfill has become a toxic symbol of neglect. Civil society must demand segregation of waste at source, decentralized biomethanisation plants, scientific closure of Achan, and transparent monitoring of Jhelum dredging and flood mitigation plans. Educational and Merit Revival. Education today suffers from eroded values, irrelevant curricula, reservation quota and poor employability. Civil society can push for critical thinking, ethics, environmental literacy, mentorship, scholarships, and stronger industry-academia linkages. Healthcare Reform; Hospitals remain overcrowded and preventive health underfunded. Patients’ rights are often ignored. Civil society must press for evidence-based medicine protocols, preventive oncology, lifestyle interventions, treatment subsidies, and regular citizen audits of hygiene, drug safety, and infrastructure. Social & Cultural Ethics. Drug abuse, ostentatious weddings, reckless traffic, digital toxicity, and the stray dog menace are weakening the social fabric. Civil groups must lead by example—campaigning against drugs, promoting simple marriages, instilling civic sense, and spreading digital literacy.
From Plans to Professional Memorandums; As Pandit Sahib once reminded us, so does Khurshid Sahib today, carrying forward that legacy, “A memorandum without expertise is a petition; a memorandum with expertise is a roadmap.”If civil society wants to be taken seriously, it must replace generic demands with professional, evidence-backed proposals. For example:Waste management: Don’t just say “close Achan.” Propose scientific alternatives, cost comparisons, and global models.Healthcare: Don’t just say “improve hospitals.” Recommend patient safety audits, EBM guidelines, and preventive health budgets. Education: Don’t just say “reform schools.” Suggest curriculum renewal, teacher training, prioritising merit and community-school partnerships.Only when memorandums evolve into policy briefs with expertise will governments listen.
A Cycle of Action and Review; Civil society must also avoid the trap of one-time activism. Submitting a memorandum or organizing a seminar is not enough. We must review our efforts every 3–6 months with questions such as: Which of our recommendations were implemented? Which failed, and why? What measurable change have we achieved? Learning from past ,How can we recalibrate our strategies? Without such accountability, civil society risks becoming ornamental, not transformative.
Civil Society in Kashmir: The Mirror We Avoid. Kashmir has seen commendable civil society engagement during floods, pandemics, and crises. Yet larger failures remain stark. The Achan landfill still poisons Srinagar. Traffic snarls choke roads every day. Drug addiction rises, yet rehabilitation efforts remain fragmented. Hospitals struggle, but public campaigns for healthcare reform are rare.
Why does civil society often falter? Partly because of fear of confrontation—questioning the system may invite harassment. Partly because of duplication—dozens of NGOs chase the same cause but in isolation, competing instead of collaborating. And partly because of erosion of trust—some groups misuse funds or hide political agendas, weakening credibility.
Towards a Responsible Civil Society; The Making of a Concerned Citizen! From a Conscious Citizen.
A conscious citizen sees, feels, and questions; a concerned citizen acts. The journey begins with awareness but matures into responsibility—moving beyond criticism to constructive contribution. True citizenship is not ritual but response, not silence but service, and not privilege but participation in shaping a just society.
Most of the times we have observed that many civil society ‘s at the crossroads of responsibility and ritual. To reclaim its role, civil society must embrace five principles: Reorient to Basics – Civil society must learn to prioritize the vital few over the popular many—health, education, environment, rights, and ethics—rather than being swayed by trending but fleeting causes. Coalitions, Not Competition – Pool efforts, explore similarities to channelise efforts with like-minded groups. The Coordination Committee model, if sincerely implemented, can amplify voices. Transparency and trust mean aligning words with actions, maintaining honesty without hidden agendas—financial or otherwise—practicing open communication, and upholding humility. Capacity Building – Train youth in policy analysis, advocacy, and negotiation to strengthen the future.Citizens First Approach – Civil society must empower people, not overshadow them.
Overcoming Criticism- Civil society actors often face harsh criticism—branded as seeking popularity or relevance after retirement. Critics ask: “Why not then, why now?” But participation in public life has no expiry date. To be silent when one has experience and expertise is a bigger betrayal. Yes, our society is full of critics but short of participants. But meaningful change demands courage to absorb criticism and persist.
Carrying the Flame Forward- My Tryst with M. Shafi Pandit – An Ode to a Proud Citizen of Kashmir. In the coming days, the GCC will commemorate Late M. Shafi Pandit, who exemplified the transformation of a bureaucrat into a concerned citizen. His legacy reminds us: responsibility does not end with office—it begins with conscience. Our tribute must not end in speeches or obituaries. It must translate into action. If we continue his legacy, every memorandum, every campaign, and every reform will echo his belief: Charity touches today, but change transforms tomorrow.
Kashmir deserves nothing less. The responsibility is ours, and the time is now.