Compassion is understanding or empathy for the suffering of others. Tolerance is respect, acceptance, and appreciation for those whose opinions, practices, race religion, nationality, etc. are different from one’s own. These qualities are very important for an individual living in a society.

India is a multicultural society with high numbers of vulnerable, Disadvantaged, and weaker sections. So efficient delivery of services and addressing their concerns are very important. India with its diverse cultures which traditionally evolved with the modern 21st century makes it unique in its existence. Tolerance and compassion have always played a major role throughout the transition of time for the unity of the nation in diversity. 

Weaker sections like SCs/STs and rural/urban poor are unaware of public policies, subsidies, and public utilities. Weaker sections are marginalized, deprived of justice, and illiterate. They have very low bargaining power and ability to assert their demands so helping them, being compassionate towards them, and supporting them can help them a lot.

The quality of being a compassionate persons is:

• To understand the needs and the expectations of people.
• Understanding the needs of marginalized and vulnerable sections of people living in a society.
• To Undertake a faster approach and measures to address the issues of society.
• To have an Unbiased approach to the distribution of government facilities.
• To Make oneself accessible to all citizens and seeking for their feedback to improve better.
• Respecting affirmative action toward the disadvantaged and implementing them with a positive attitude.

The quality of being a tolerant person is:

• Freedom from Bigotry, respecting each other choices.
• It helps in developing qualities like respect towards others, knowledge, openness, and communication between diverse sections of society.
• Upholding natural rights which are Human rights, Democracy, Multiculturalism, Pluralism etc.
• Protecting the constitutional principles of Fundamental Rights which forms the basic structure of the constitution.
• Preventing tendency of intimidation, coercion, oppression, etc.

Poor and marginalized sections of the society that have faced negligence and left empty-handed for such a long duration of time have become afflicted that there is no one to listen to them and solve their issues. They have been dealt with harshness many times, and this behavior has inculcated in them a sense of inferiority and less importance they have stated attributing to themselves.

In a nation empowered and educated section perform better job and pay taxes to run a nation’s economy. This revenue are spent to alleviate poverty by enabling weaker section to become part of mainstream economy. This needs compassion to spend revenue on them and tolerance to provide them all chances for becoming self-sustaining. Hence, we must have tolerance and compassion toward them, as they are not exposed to newer technology, awareness of their own rights, nation’s outlook, programmes for themselves and nation’s expectation from them.

In egalitarian society, tolerance and compassion are two important qualities to be practiced by
every individual and Hence tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections are
one of the basic qualities any individual should poses.

Equitable distribution of resources and welfare-oriented development should be among the primary goals of democratic government. To develop a country, not just the government but every individual in a society should have qualities like compassion, tolerance, and empathy towards the weaker section of the society.