Every Housing Society Is a Mini-Nation — It’s Time We Act Like It
On Independence Day, a civic call to arms for every member of Maharashtra’s housing societies
As India marks another year of freedom, Fatima Bharde, a voice from the civic initiative Co-Society, has penned a striking message to members of Co-operative Housing Societies across Maharashtra, urging them to stop being silent bill-payers and instead become informed custodians of their community microcosms.
In her open letter, released ahead of Independence Day, Bharde challenges the very mindset that governs most housing societies: the belief that paying maintenance is enough.
“Your Co-operative Housing Society is a micro-nation… not just your postal address,” she writes. “It’s where families weave their shared stories, face daily crises together—or don’t—and create something far more significant than just co-existence.”
A Crisis of Civic Apathy
Bharde highlights the increasing civic apathy within gated societies: members who ignore by-laws, skip meetings, and rarely question how major expenses are handled. She warns that this passivity enables misgovernance, corruption, and a breakdown of trust.
“Silence is NOT peace. It is willing surrender,” she states. “When members stay silent, transparency dies, and your hard-earned money is at risk.”
Her call is blunt but timely. As India celebrates freedom from colonial rule, she reminds us that freedom without participation—especially in the smallest units of self-governance—is hollow.
What Needs to Change
The message encourages every member to take five urgent steps:
- Stand up for the society’s core values
- Reject petty politics and division
- Embrace co-operation and community dignity
- Ask questions, demand answers, and propose solutions
- Transform from passive bill-payers into active community-reformers
She likens housing society engagement to nation-building at a micro scale: “Just as a country is built by its citizens, a housing society is built by its members.”
A Pledge for This Independence Day
Instead of mere flag-hoisting ceremonies, Bharde suggests that members should make civic engagement their true Independence Day resolution. The letter concludes with a powerful appeal:
“Let August 15 be the day we renew our commitment to our Samaj—our shared community—and start being Society Champions.”
In a time when urban citizens increasingly disconnect from public life, this letter serves as a wake-up call—reminding people that real change begins not just at polling booths, but inside their own building gates.