Dynamics of Social Entrepreneurship: The Promise and the Perils

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship is any enterprising, not-for-profit activity of a group of persons who try to bring change in different spheres of social life, which basically is meant for the welfare of the people. The present study examines the social entrepreneurship of the certain NRIs for their native village- Kharudi, district Hoshiarpur, Punjab, to build it as a model village in order to improve the quality of life of the people of the village. They provided the amenities of modern life such as underground water pipes, sewerage layouts, sewerage treatment plant, street lights, parks, concrete lanes besides the covered drainage etc. The NRI visitors monitored and supervised all the activities to their completion in collaboration with the local community. The village people could sustain the activities up to a few years. The village got its due publicity through media and was visited by the dignitaries, including the then President of India, Abdul Kalam and researchers as well. Many other villages also followed the trail. A recent visit to the village raises a number of questions with regard to the sustainability of such a planned development process. The study reveals that though village community seems to be a homogeneous entity but internally it is fragmented and divided along caste, class, and personal interests. The study works out the pitfalls of social entrepreneurship. What are the long term effects of such an effort in the direction of the welfare of the people? Is this type of social change sustainable? Tentatively, we may argue in this context that perhaps the NRI's have failed to understand the culture of Indian society and could not juxtapose themselves in the social reality of village community which they had left decades ago.