Non-Representational Spaces: The Practice of Charity in Indian Soap Operas

SHEKH MOINUDDIN

Abstract

The art of charity is considered a basic tenant of religion and humanity. The geography of

charity varies across space and it varies in natures, practices, and endowments. In India, the

charity is considered a pious way to get salvation through various renditions. This paper is

about to evaluate the position of India/Indians among their neighbouring countries in term of

doing charity and examined top ten popular TV programmes (TRPs based) in India, to know

the visuals/practices of charity in the shown programme during prime time as well. It is

common believed that peoples are imitating such act from TV’s soap operas wherein

different characters supposed to doing charity apart from religious and moral training in order

to keep alive immortal values. This paper will evaluate the Nigel Thrift’s ‘non-

representational theory’ in contexts to Indian soap operas wherein the visuals of charity are

almost neglected while Indian known for religious sentiments more across the world.

Key words: Charity, Media, Giving index, Religious, Well-being, Non-Representational

theory.

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up”

John Holmes1

Introduction: Charity and World Giving Index

The practice2 of charity is omnipresent and ubiquitous in nature across the world including

both developed and developing countries. Charity is a self-adhere practice, which a person

learn from inheritance graded and doing for social cause that ultimately lead the spatial

equality some extent. The practice of charity has been acknowledged in the religious

1 John Holmes was philanthropic poet and his work ‘Map of my country’ (1943) was pioneer work where he

encouraged the peoples to do immortal jobs as well.

2 Practice is something about a daily habits ridden understanding when an individual supposed to do in order

to extend the salience of love, passion in form of existentialism.

manuscript in length and volume and some extent the practice of charity had been graded as

compulsorily part in all religion which he/she is observing in day-to-day manner. Since two

world war and experiment of nuclear sophisticated weapon put world into jeopardize

condition. The war maladies and subsequent contraction of ‘socialism’ and expansion of

‘capitalism’ lead the world into competitive inheritance, to get more and more in order to

survive, for sake of existence. Thereafter, a global understanding lead the world for

systematic organization for grievances and categorized the world into ‘high’ and ‘low’ in

various forms, structures, and texts. Charity Aid Foundation (CAF)3 prepared a world-giving

index (WGI)4 report based on people’s generosity, kindness, and charity practices as well.

The report is something that giving poor nation to smile some extent when the world is

recognizing the value of benevolence practice, which is giving universal optimism and not

materialistic value at all, only. The WGI report is contrary to HDI5 (Human Development

Index) report at all in nature. The WGI is based on beyond materialistic feature while HDI is

based on materialistic ground to substantiate the ‘mantra’ (trick) of development in

materialistic format. Each report has own set of standard to interpret the world and every

report’s backyard is influence by spatial attributes or a cultural set up of local influence,

which is powerful in the surrounding sphere. Therefore, WGI is not out of clutches of

prevalent cultural setup. Let my intension of dominant cultural set is media (specifically TV),

which is encompassing each country at myriad order. Apart from religious teaching, media is

one of agent which can shape a perspective about charity, but it is not established, so far, that

how these (soap operas) is considered a potential weapon which can enhance the practice of

charity in the society at best.

The practice of charity is of course have purposes, might be well-being of poor people, apart

from religious sanctions. Well-being is a multi-task operation and result of institutionalized

support where government, NGO’s and people extending utmost help, which includes

enhancing the quality of life. This paper invokes on non-state actor especially media (TV),

how media is playing value added knowledge in their programme (soap operas) to enhance

3 CAF is a UK based international registered charity organization and helping and advising respectively over the

charity issues. CAF supposed to prepare a world giving index (WGI) based on charity and philanthropy as well.

4 WGI (world giving index), 2011, report prepared by CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) a worldwide organization.

5 HDI (Human Development Index) report prepared by UNDP every year to show the development standard of

the country.

the practice of charity. Or, the practice of charity is inherent knowledge which is spreading

through generations wherein experience, practice, and emotions shapes the knowledge too

over time. Further, this study invokes the concept discussed by Nigel Thrift’s (2008) of ‘non-

representational theory’ to understand the practice of charity in south Asian countries where

religious sentiment is considered as cultural taboos. How Indian media (TV) portrayed day-

to-day cultural dictums in public domain.

Charity might be small or bigger the ethos of charity remained same to extend help of person

in possible ways. So, one should not confuse between charity and ‘giving’ rather both is same

or in other words, we can say that part of same coin where the habits of charity were

quantified in WGI format. The material aspect of charity is that to deliver the aspirations of

poor people. In fact, most time charity regarded in bigger contexts but small contributions

also considered charity as well. The practice of charity is of course not a representation rather

a salvation point where an individual supposed to doing for different reasons. The emotional

values of charity cannot explain such normative feelings or represented or mapped easily.

Charity and Non-Representational

Charity is an extension of humanitarian practice, which is beyond representational and in fact

non-representational in nature. Through the religious guide or by giving practice it is

generally feel that charity is purely non-representational action in which people involves to

get due respect rather to show representational. Charity is a non-representational action that

create a practice, which is not common rather followed steps, what Nigel Thrift are suggested

in order to carried out the non-representational.

The practice of charity is a social cause and people are doing to recuperate from a condition,

what he/she want to change the counterpart is facing. Why an individual is doing charity,

only because of humanity or something else. Nigel Thrift (2008: 13) argues that “affect as the

way in which each thing in acting ‘thing’ in acting, living, and striving to preserve its own

being is ‘nothing but the actual essence of the thing” and further he argued that;

There is no longer a subject, but only individuating affective states of an

anonymous force. The plane is concerned only with movements and

rests, with dynamic affective charges: the plane will be perceived with

whatever it makes us perceive, and then only bit by bit. Our ways of

living, thinking or writing change according to the plane upon which we

find ourselves.

(Thrift, 2008:13)

The act of affect, which Nigel Thrift wants to retain a certain minimal humanism (ibid: 13).6

The charity is a cause of humanism, which like a movements and found sometime active and

sometime passive but constantly running since the years.

Non-representational geographies are concerned with the practice of everyday life: a popular

term, which has been adopted in three related senses. First, focussed on what most commonly

understood as everyday life-the mundane, often routinized, humdrum of everyday living

(such as listening to music, dancing, gardening, walking, and shopping) including charity

should be acted in day-to-day course of action. Charity admire pattern of everyday life. It is

about humanism. The second assumption is about everyday life in non-representational

geographies, one seeks to counter the assumption that it is necessarily profane and ordinary.

Third, the spatiality of everyday life in non-representational geographies is not simply

personal, individual, or local. Taking cues from Henry Lefebvre’s notion of ‘everydayness’

through Deleuze’s ‘virtualities’, non-representational geographies have sought to engage with

the very life of everyday life (Cadman, 2009: 4). The charity is an everyday act, non-

representational geographies entails its spatial dimensions and more and less, it is prevailed

across the world in myriad from in both modern and traditional societies, where people are

practicing under religious obligation.

The charity is mundane practice but non-representational geographies infers entails ‘practice’

as material bodies of work or styles that have gained enough stability over time, though, for

examples, the establishment of corporeal routines and specialized devices, to reproduce

themselves (Thrift, 2008: 8). The charity is such practice, which is popular since years

without hindering other social cause and established across the society at myriad form. Over

period, it gained for conveying other philanthropic causes. Cadman (2009:4-5) argues further

and examined non-representational geographies have using performativity knowledge in

everyday life: performativity is constitutive of the ongoing nature of practice. “Performativity

is not an act in time, rather it is the spacing which allows the next moment; it enables the

6 Thrift, Nigel. (2008). Non-Representation Theory. New York: Routledge.

unexpected and transformative but also the mundane ability to simply go on.7 The

performativity could be access to not resemble academic representations, but to experiment

with the thinking which occurs on the interstice between thought and practice” (ibid: 5).

Charity is not mere an ideology rather a thought of doing philanthropy should be in manner

of daily practices even without any constructivism (under religious obligation).

Nigel Thrift sought to alert geographers to the embodied and performative nature of practice,

much of which subsists prior to reflexive or cognitive thought. However, Thrift is trying to

maintain dualism between theory and practice and thought and action (ibid: 1). Charity is

something that required equality between practice and thought. The inner part of charity is

indeed invisible seems what feeling occurs after doing philanthropy is complex. Most of time

things are visible but in reality it is not visible and what is visible it is not existing rather it is

something charity is like this. It is an everyday act, practice in a regular or occasional

manner, quite performative and affect is visible across the world. The non-representational

geographies entail both practice and thought as ‘a process’ and ‘open ended’. The dimensions

of charity admire non-representational geographies as perspective to experiment the value in

everyday and practice manner under performativity.

Spatial Distribution of Charity

Charity a social cause and spread over space through spatial behaviors in which human

behavior is crucial to increase the frequency of charity. Charity entails three kinds of spatial

behavior: first, donating money; second, volunteering time and; third, helping stranger.

“Almost half of the population (47%) helps stranger in a typical month. In comparison fewer

than three out of ten of us currently “give money” to charity (29%) or “volunteer time” (21%)

every month…The only one of the three behaviors, which is now less prevalent than 2010 is

‘giving money’ to charity. Globally, the incidence of ‘volunteering time’ increased between

2010 and 2011, by just one percentage point, whilst the incidence of ‘helping a stranger’

increased by two percentages points” (WGI, 2011: 13).

Giving Money

Doing charity through disbursement of money is indeed one of the popular ways to extend

his/her generosity and kindness. Over period money established as medium to transfer or to

7 Cadman, L.(2009). Nonrepresentational Theory/Nonrepresentational Geographies. Elsever:1-8.

provide a help. Money gradually replaced the ancient practice of barter system8 where

exchanged was flexible and necessity was utmost primary target to fulfill. In modern nation-

state, money is considered an important value or one of primary means to absolve the social

maladies. “In 2010, Malta (83%) was the highest ranked country for ‘giving money’, but

Thailand (85%) replaced Malta and become first country for ‘giving money’. United

Kingdom (79%) ranked second, and Ireland (75%) ranked third for ‘giving money’. The

percentage of population ‘giving money’ fell evenly for both males and females. The

percentage of females who had ‘given money’ was 30%, compared with 29% males”9 (Table

1).

Table1

Global change in the ‘money giving’, by age, 2010-2011

Age % Change from 2010 to 2011

15-24 -0.97

25-34 +0.49

35-49 -0.98

50+ +0.51

Source: WGI-2011

Volunteering Time

Time remain considered an important segment to do charity (Table 2). Taking some time

from his/her busy schedule and spending to do care who needs a careful attention.

Turkmenistan (61%) remains the highest percentage of ‘volunteering time’. Liberia (48%)

ranked second, while Sri Lanka (46%) ranked third for ‘volunteering time’ (ibid: 18-19).

Table 2

Global change in volunteering time from 2010-2011

Gender % Volunteering time change

from 2010-2011

Male 0.69

8 In barter system, people generally preferred to exchange through goods and giving goods for goods not

money.

9 WGI (world giving index), 2011, report prepared by CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) worldwide organization.

P.20.

Female 0.39

Source: WGI-2011

Across the world male are devoting in the cause of volunteering time with person who need

utmost. The rates of volunteering time slightly increase in compare to past year in which male

counterpart are leading in order to extend philanthropic service even without self-gain except

for cause of humanity. The age patterns for philanthropic activities in the world wherein

older peoples doing better than others (Table 3).

Table 3

Global change in volunteering time from 2010-2011

Age % Volunteering time change from

2010-2011

15-24 0.97

25-34 0.67

35-49 0.39

50+ 1.58

Source: WGI-2011

The rates of volunteering time among age-old people who crossed 50+ are higher in compare

to other age group. The older peoples done philanthropic because they most of time are

available in the home or free or not involve in any direct employment and believes that

charity can calm his/her immortal life.

Helping a Stranger

Helping unknown peoples is of course a kind of charity where helps come through various

ways. Liberia (81%) is the highest ranked country for ‘helping a stranger’, USA (73%)

ranked second, while Ghana (72%) ranked third for ‘helping a stranger’. “The percentage of

males and females who had ‘helped a stranger’ increased by more than two percentage point

in each case, with males marginally record strongest growth. The percentage of females who

had ‘helped a stranger’ was 46%, compared with 48% of males.”10

The age patterns for

extending hand for ‘helping a stranger is globally high among youth between ages 25-34

years (Table 4)

10

WGI (world giving index), 2011, report prepared by CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) worldwide organization.

p.16-17.

Table 4

Percentage change in helping a stranger from 2010-2011

Age % change in helping a

stranger from 2010-2011

15-24 2.12

25-34 2.57

35-49 2.39

50+ 2.35

Source: WGI-2011

The doing philanthropy rate is increased among youth in between age of 25-34 years is

indeed a sign of sympathetic world but it need to raise further in order to wipe out the curse

of an individual beyond caste, religion, nation, race, gender, etc.

Charity is a global phenomenon and found in each country at varied range. There are 193

countries affiliated with United Nation and sharing their spatial understanding to the world.

The WGI-2011 is prepared after making an extensive survey of 153 countries during 2010;

the data have been prepared after survey of 123. The top twenty countries that are frontrunner

in the philanthropy at every reason are they belongs from both developed and developing

countries (Table 5).

Table 5

Top 20 Countries of the World in the World Giving Index-2011

2011 WGI

Ranking

Country 2011 WGI %

Score

2010 WGI

Ranking

2010 WGI %

Score

1 USA 60 5 55

2 Ireland 59 3 56

3 Australia 58 1 57

4 New Zealand 57 1 57

5 United Kingdom 57 8 53

6 Netherlands 54 7 54

7 Canada 54 3 56

8 Sri Lanka 51 8 53

9 Thailand 51 25 42

10 Lao People’s

Democratic

Republic

50 11 50

11 Hong Kong 49 18 44

12 Morocco 48 33 40

13 Nigeria 47 36 39

14 Iceland 47 14 47

14 Liberia 47 39 38

14 Turkmenistan 47 14 47

17 Denmark 46 18 44

18 Guyana 45 16 45

19 Malta 45 13 48

19 Qatar 45 16 45

Source: WGI-2011

In the top twenty countries eleven countries belongs from developing countries and nine

countries belongs from developed countries. The top twenty lists include countries from all

world and representing all continent. From North America continent, USA is leading the

continent and ranked first across the world in order to do philanthropy. From Africa

continent, Nigeria is leading the charity practices in the continent. Australia is leading charity

practices from the Oceania continent (Australia). From Europe continent, United Kingdom is

leading the giving practices. From Asia continent, Sri Lanka is leading country in order to

doing charity. From South America, Guyana is leading the charity practices in the continent.

The Practices of Charity in India

India is a secular country by constitution, but by practices, it is quite religious and significant

number of atheistic found as well. The traditional values of giving charity and endowments in

our society have been questioned with the release of world giving index- 2011. How such

religious attitude entails the charity gap occurred in term of practice and performativity over

period. The practice of charity in India is growing and has greater potential lying in country

to lead the world in the cause of philanthropy. The practice of charity in India is mainly

admired in form of religious taboos. In a survey, CAF-India11

(Charity Aid foundation-India)

concludes their finding as:

84% of people donated money to an individual or an organisation in the past year, in

which 71% amount donated for religious purpose while 12% donated for non-

religious purposes.

27% of people gave money to a charitable organisation.

70% of donors prefer to donate direct to beneficiaries.

Personal experience is the number one driver for giving, cited by 70% of people.

11

CAF (charities Aid Foundation)-India, prepared report on ‘Charities in India’ (2011).

People are also motivated to give by their upbringing, family values marking special

occasions.

The biggest barrier to giving, cited by 32% of people, is not being able to afford to

give.

The top five causes that Indians would like to give to in future are religion (21%),

disability (18%), homelessness (12%), the elderly (10%) and education (8%).

52% of donors believe that a ‘lack of transparency hinders donations to NGOs’.

Nearly three quarters of people (73%) want charities to improve their

communications while more than half of donors (52%) believe that a ‘lack of

transparency hinders donations to NGOs’.

Of course charity is one of methods to improve the life quality. Charity explicitly linked with

well-being of an individual in various ways. Well-being is a one of method to assess an

individual’s imminent requirement and to improve his/her life quality. In India, there is no

such official organization to prepare the well-being report rather there is some agencies are

preparing data based on social, education, health, security, employment, etc., apart from these

agencies some private organization are preparing a well-being index on day-to-day utility and

consumption grounds. Tata strategic management group12

have prepared Well-being index13

(WBI) in which Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana; and Kerala, Tamil Nadu and

Andhra Pradesh are ranked at the top of the WBI. The agency prepared WBI based on

consumer household as–home, kitchen, hygiene, entertainment, communication,

transportation, education and healthcare.

Well-being ever been attached with development of an individual and in gross it represent

space, region and nations as well. Every country has set of understanding to measure well-

being index particularly the indicators, which is suitable for the country. For example, in

India people generally prefer to give alms, donations in form of charity. Charity might be one

of method to improve the well-being of an individual to make his/her situation little better, if

charity is widely practiced. Most of time charity involves very low amount of giving but

regular practice can improve the conditions of people who need it utmost. There is no direct

link between charity and well-being but it can be one of method to improve the condition of

12

One of popular group in the field of service sector and CSR in India.

13 Well-being is an indicator of measuring people’s livelihood conditions which he/she is enjoying in the

specific state over the time.

an individual. Still sixteen percent people do not figure him/her in any cause of philanthropy

in India. Moreover, out of them around thirty-two percent peoples feeling unsecure or being

unable to afford the cause of charity with various reasons. If we add both the number that

mean around half of population is indirectly not involved in the practice of charity.

Among South Asian countries, India ranked fifth and occupying last slot in the (Table 6). In

the WGI, India is carrying 91st position among 153 countries. The practice of charity involves

three attributes and in all three attributes, India is lacking in compare to his neighboring

countries. ‘Helping stranger’ among Indian is better known practices rather ‘giving money’

and ‘volunteering time’. During the course of philanthropic action, the volunteering time is

indeed a constraint and problematic with various reasons. Sometime people fear unnecessary

police action might be one of reason to avoiding volunteering time. But giving time is of

course one of the best practice of charity or to console someone who is under stress or

required someone, only time can prove the best to fill the sore. However, in volunteering time

India ranked fourth, just above Bangladesh. ‘Giving money’ is one of the most popular ways

and considered easier ways to extend their support for doing charity. Among South Asian

countries, India ranked third in order to disbursing money for charity purposes.

Table 6

WGI of South Asian Countries

Country 2011

WGI

Ranking

2011

WGI

%

Score

%

Giving

Money

%

Volunteering

Time

%

Helping

a

Stranger

2010

WGI

Ranking

%

Point

Score

Change

Sri Lanka 8 51 53 46 55 8 2

Pakistan 34 42 51 27 47 142 26

Bangladesh 78 32 18 14 63 146 16

Nepal 84 30 27 22 40 100 3

India 91 28 28 18 39 134 10

Source: WGI-2011

Moreover, Pakistan improved lot in his position to do charity in compare to preceding year.

India improved his position by marginal change of ten points while Sri Lanka carrying same

figure in compare to preceding year and remained in the same position. Bangladesh improved

his position in a year by margin of sixteen points while Nepal upgraded his position by little

change of three percentages in overall score.

However, learning a practice of charity in India is purely based on primary and secondary

socialization-primary socialization is about when parents taught the benevolence and

empathy towards poor with the help of religious texts; secondary socialization is about when

media (cinema, TV, radio and other visual portrayals) supposed to generating a feeling of

charity. The role of TV is indeed instrumental when after liberalization staged when TV

became primary source of entertainment across the households and now days across urban

dwellers keeping two TV in the home become common.

Charity and Soap Operas in India

All programmes running across the TV channels have their own popularity but TRPs14

(Television rating points) is one of common acceptable way to judge and ranked them. Only

few belong to reality show or some other programmes which attracts the viewers at best. The

initial assumption of the study was that peoples supposed to learn the practices of charity

from soap operas in various ways. Representation of charity in the following considered soap

operas was almost absent however, the story of these soap operas neither emphasis on charity

nor characters showed his/her empathy towards charity in the soap operas in any ways (Table

7).

Table 7

Top ten Soap Operas in India (March, 2013)

S. No Soap Operas TV

Channel

TRP

Rating

Language Genre Charity/Phi

-lanthropy

scene

1 Diya Aur Bati Hum Star plus 5.3 Rajasthani

/Hindi

Romance None

2 Bade Acche Lagte Hain Sony 4.8 Hindi Romance

/Drama

None

3 Balika Vadhu Colors 4.3 Rajasthani

/Hindi

Drama None

4 Yeh Rista Kya Kahlata

Hai

Star plus 4.1 Hindi Romance

/Drama

None

5 Crime Patrol Sony 4.06 Hindi Reality None

14

A parameter to measure the popularity of TV programme including soap operas. Although there is conflict

and contradictory view about TRPs and there no uniformity definition rather each TV channels using TRPs

methods to fetch more business. The TRPs are quite contentious subject but still using as method to know the

popular programmes among audience. Out of ten popular TV entertainments in 2013, two was reality shows

which run successfully.

show

6 Dance India Dance Little

Master-2

Zee TV 3.95 Hindi Reality

show

None

7 Sasural Simar Ka Colors 3.4 Hindi Drama None

8 Saath Nibhana Sathyya Star plus 3.31 Gujrati/Hi

ndi

Drama None

9 Ek Hazaro Mein Meri

Behna Hai

Star Plus 3 Hindi Romance

/Drama

None

10 Iss Pyar ko Kya Naam

Do

Star plus 2.75 Hindi Romance

/Comedy

None

Source: Research Survey during 2012-13.

All soap operas by genre are romantic, drama, reality show, or mix of drama and comedy in

nature and running successfully in the TV channels. For example, the popularity of these soap

operas was due to dialects and regional affiliation wherein regional socio-culture was

portrayed in aesthetic ways. The vernacular dialects were use as part of making the story as

real as which can touch the emotion of the audience at best. Hence, vernacular dialects were

appreciated by audience. The soap operas like Balika Vadhu (younger bride)15

run more than

thousand episodes wherein Rajasthani culture16

was depicted. The soap operas like: Bade

Acche Lagte Hain was one of the popular soap operas wherein post married romance were

portrayed in various ups and down; Yeh Rista Kya Kahlata Hai was about married and family

relationship when serial is supposed to portrayed the sacredness and sanctity of marital

relationship; Sasural Simar Ka was a story of two sisters who went same house after

marriage while; Saath Nibhana Sathyya was also a story of two sister was portrayed in

Gujarati culture17

; Iss Pyar ko Kya Naam Do and Ek Hazaro Mein Meri Behna Hai was a

story of love, passion, desire and care where traditional values were given utmost important.

The above mentioned soap operas were female oriented and portrayed as “sites of

contestants” (Munshi, 2010).18

The complex family relationships were portrayed in various

panoramas where viewers can adjust with story line. However the following soap operas do

15

A popular soap operas wherein child marriage and related issues were portrayed under different episodes

with dramatic and romance conversation on colors TV channel.

16 Rajasthani culture is a distinguish culture in India in term of cuisine and traditional approach and dress as

well. Peoples enjoyed such folk dances, dialogues, and drama and romance were portrayed in TV. The

linguistics conversation somehow near to Hindi but not same but people can understand the dialogues at best.

17 Gujarati culture is here about the wearing heavy embroidery saree and jewels as well. Hence, Gujarati

culture is too strong folk tradition.

18 Munshi, Soma. (2010). Prime Time Soap Operas on Indian Television. New Delhi. Routledge.

not fall in social ethics rather social portrayal were given preference as well social and

cultural orders were portrayed in myriad ways.

Media expansion at multi-level operations are examining our social practices variedly

including aesthetic mode in both ‘real’ and ‘imagination’ reflexive order. TV programmes in

India shows all traditional values in aesthetic ways. These traditional values are become one

of the prime shows wherein depiction of religious values like morning prayer, keeping faith

on elders, common kitchen, family conflicts, doing prayers, practices of karwachauth,

wearing chudda (bungles), keeping veil from elders, pouring water in the plants of Tulsi, and

congregation on home-made temple inevitable in both ‘private’ and ‘public’ media space in

both prime and non-prime time in India. In India, both public and private media portrayed

both traditional and progressive programmes in order to exploit traditional values for business

as well. “The television programmes on one hand are spreading the message of materialism,

of comfort, of enhanced consumerism, but are doing so in local language, moderating its

message to local needs and cultures” (Ranganathan and Rodrigues, 2010:12).19

Television

programme supposed to move forward tradition with progressive values where cultural

sanctity was conserved at best.

Interestingly, none of the above mentioned soap operas touched the issue of charity as theme

rather material aspects were portrayed in order to make the story livelier than empathy. The

epic of charity were discussed across the sections differentially but none of the shown TV

serials had touched the issue to coincide with the charity. However, every story was

constructed in order to sell emotions. It is believed that the shown portrayals might create a

sense of feeling for charity, but not shaped so far for various reasons including absence of

emotion of charity in Indian soap operas. Emotions were carved in such ways like deserted,

exploited, and victimized in order to attract spatial attractions and insensitiveness of peoples

during odd period of life.

Conclusion

Charity is a universal phenomenon and based on everyday practice across both developed and

developing countries. The practice of charity linked through harmony where people believe

in philanthropy for heavenly purposes. Charity leads well-being as well. Charity embedded in

19

Rananathan, M. & Rodrigues, Usha M. (2010). Indian Media in a Globalised World. New Delhi: Sage

Publications.

body space in form of well-being. Well-being is an indicator to access individual’s socio-

economic position of region, nation and global too. Well-being is a subject of the state but

some extent an individual can paddle the efforts to improve the physical conditions of poor

people whatsoever by a genuine help. The WGI report divulge a hidden fact, Indian being a

religious sentiment are ranked far back among the nations to do charity. Most of countries are

practicing charity as cultural taboos. The absence of charity visuals in soap operas is of

course, a concern of issue. But, there is no direct linkage between charity and soap operas

rather the practice of charity largely depends upon individuals approach towards humanity.

TV being medium becomes an inevitable phenomenon and it is believed that nonetheless

issues left from TV screen but the issue of charity is not much attracted so far. The influence

of market is clearly visible in the shown soap operas which shaped and reshaped the

consumer culture in India as well. TV can play an important role to influence to do

philanthropy or charity in both micro and macro level. The poor record of giving charity is

unknown in India meanwhile; it is believed that both primary and secondary sources of

socialization can strengthen the space of empathy when practice and experience of everyday

life can shape the non representational spaces too.

Author’s Profile: Author is Assistant Professor in Kalindi College (University of Delhi,

India) and published book on Media Space and Gender Construction (2010) and Mapping

Media (2015).