To understand and to get a comprehensive idea of how a Community Association works in India we will have to learn about some important facts related to community associations. It is an established reality that all human beings somehow depend on each other for their personal or a particular larger interest they have in common. So what they do is they organize themselves in a certain community intentionally which is generally a non government organization. Some other factors responsible for people being together in community association could be a particular lot of people living in a certain locality who have their property established there sharing a direct social relationship and sharing a common geographical area of inhabitation. Community associations help foster good social relations, strengthen common values and maintain a strong as well as an effective social control.

Talking About a Variety of Community Associations

Community associations can differ in their nature, characteristics and size. Community associations are engendered in various neighborhoods, villages, cooperatives and social clubs. It depends on the individuals who form an important part of the community who decide what and which common goals and interests they would like to pursue or any particular agenda they want to achieve through their association. We will talk about some important and most common community associations that we all are familiar with. We will try to encapsulate about these associations and also about the various functions as well as their utility in the contemporary world.

Neighborhood Community Associations

Neighborhood community associations are one of the most ubiquitous associations we know about. Certain groups of people residing in a certain neighborhood share a lot of social interactions in their daily life as they share a particular geographical area of living. These people come together voluntarily building up a certain community association and follow a certain set of guidelines which are finalized according to a unanimous decision. This helps them to maintain a decent social order in their neighborhood, lead a peaceful and secure life amongst each other and also it promotes the overall good of the whole neighborhood.

Such community association helps them stand in solidarity with each other. In a certain set of challenging circumstances or trying situations they can together deal and confront them which makes it easy for them to handle .If they have any kind of grievance against some government related issue then too it helps them to sort it out more conveniently as they can represent themselves collectively. Largely it has a positive impact and can imbibe a certain level confidence in individuals giving them a sense of security and togetherness.

Village Community Associations

Considering the fact and data according to India’s census 2011 which states this very clearly that the number of people residing in rural areas in India stands at approximately 83.3 Crore. This is something very important when we talk about community associations as this makes it absolutely definite how much value the village community associations have as so many people and their well being is dependent on these associations.

Village community associations help people residing there to lead a more peaceful life. They come together and try to help each other in various rural life related issues be it agriculture, livestock or any other issues of concern. Village community associations’ work together in tandem with certain government organizations   to make sure there is no crime is safer for its residents and has less pollution.

People come together in villages to take care of their ancient temples or the main temple associated with a particular village. They make sure they raise funds for its maintenance and organize annual festivals. People enthusiastically indulge and involve in such activities organized by village communities irrespective of their age and gender. This also gives the pleasure of experiencing that elusive feeling of brotherhood and a sense of equality amongst its people. Village communities enjoy a relaxed way of life.

Service Communities

Communities associated with the larger good of the whole humanity are very much prevalent in India. In almost every big or small city we can find people coming together and identifying the areas of concern which need immediate attention. Such community associations are mostly voluntary associations in which people sharing a common mindset join together and try to find ways and methods to deal with certain social problems. These problems could be related to pollution, traffic, charitable work, essential services or other notable causes. This gives a feeling of self worth to an individual who contributes to the greater good of society. It shows how people are conscious and are trying their best to resolve such issues which are affecting a whole lot of people all over India.

To mention an example of such an association there is one incessantly working in Himachal Pradesh named “Healing Himalayas”.  It’s working with so many volunteers and has cleared tons of waste from the Himalayas which is really commendable. We can say that community associations have a positive impact on humanity and may help us resolve so many issues together. At the same time it can bring harmony in the society and encourage people to work for the greater good of the whole country.