Grass Root Democracy

 Why Grassroot democracy (Role of PRI & ULB in deepening of democracy in India) 

The aim of freedom movement was not just independence but to give a life of dignity to millions.

There was almost a consensus that democracy is the only way to achieve it.

PBM - 

• Democracy is not just a form of govt, but it is a dream.
• Because it is seen as a way to achieve life of dignity for millions 

India is the most successful eg of democracy in the 3rd world.

Amartya sen - Democracy not only has instrumental value, educational value it also has intrinsic value. It is a wrong argument if we believe that poor will give greater preference to social and economic rights and do not give the importance to political rights.

We started with representative model of democracy but it was soon realised that

• We cannot achieve rural development w/o representation at local level

Grassroot democracy is the essence of democracy -

• Empowering the powerless 
• Giving voice to voiceless 

Gandhi’s idea of Swaraj 

MN Roy’s idea of Radical democracy 

Vinoba Bhave’s idea of Antodaya

After NEP 1991, it was realised that economic dev can move forward only with good governance 

WB - GG requires Community participation 

Thus 73 & 74 CAA

However disillusion — All committees 

Not been a wasteful journey 

• Women empowerment 

How to deepen democracy then - 

• Devolution of 3Fs
• Capacity building of members
• Empowerment of Gram Sabha 

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1960s - Community dev Program  Civil servants - vanguards of India’s silent revolution  Block Dev off - Frnd, Phil & guide to the common man  Balwant Rai Mehta Committee  Towards Panchayati Raj  2nd Oct 1959 - Panchayati Raj at Nagore, RJ	1970s-80s - Stagnation  Internal  State leadership  Bureaucracy - failed bcz colonial mindset, hardly representative at that time. External  Centralising tendencies of the Union Govt  Ashok Mehta "Panchayati raj was God that failed" (made to fail)	1990s - Revival  LM Singhvi Committee  Consti status to Panchayats Rajiv Gandhi  64th CAA - RS not pass  Trust Deficit b/w centre and states  Seen as an attempt to marginalise states Narasimha Rao govt - 73 CAA Provisions where states had objection - voluntary  Supply Driven initiative  Reason for weakness IMF Agenda 21

21st Century- Disillusionment Mani Shankar Aiyer Committee 2012 (20 review of 1992 CAA) Disillusionment is prevailing  Decentralisation of corruption   Nexus b/w Panchayati Heads and state bureaucracy Conspiracy against the Panchayats in the country  Bad Panchayati raj is worse than no Panchayati raj	Punchhi Commission  Legislative councils in all states with ULB and PRI representatives for more devolution of power Watchdog body to review the working of self governments  Analysis of PRI- 73rd CAA is called 'Half baked cake' But creates a structure nonetheless -mandatory Gram Sabha, Direct and regular election, Reservation to ST/SC/Women - But panchayat pati, proxy sarpanch.

Existing Panchayati raj is bad Panchayati raj. there is need of PR 2.0

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Women in Panchayats  (Iron ladies of Rural India)

Sudha Pai Panchayat Pati	Roshini Pandey  Lack of clarity as to the role of women in Panchayats	Fatima Bi  Sarpanch in Andhra Economic empowerment of women Contribution recognised by UNDP All women Panchayats Haryana  Significant initiatives towards declining sex ratio  MoPR Panchayat Yuva and Mahila Sashaktikaran Abhiyan

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Grassroot Movements 

Rajni Kothari  Micro movements as a symbol of dissatisfaction with representational politics and institutional decline Disconnect of ppl and repn Pol Parties - abandoned the movement aspect of politics  Electoral macjoens  Trade unions junior partners of Pol parties  So new movements led by educated middle class	Smitu Kothari  Globn has revived the grass root movements around the world because of destructive power of development  For  Peace  human rights  Against corruption	Rajnitha Mohanty Replaced state led exclusionary narrative with counter narrative of inclusion Expanded non-party political spaces Public space has been democratised  Site of reconstruction of modernity with the discourse of citizenship and rights

Urban Government - Not much different than PRI. But all the more neglected than PRIs.(didn't even feature in DPSP)

• Reason for neglect - Isher judge ahluwalia-
• A federal system which doesn't empower 3rd tier.
• a political system heavily biased towards rural area 
• lack of enough institutional framework for metropolitan planning and governance
• urban administration is chaotic - too many parallel agencies.
• Urban -too much fund- hence political class more reluctant to cede power. problem of 3Fs
• At the contrast - China despite being authoritarian, has thriving ULBs
• Fetch data from Niti aayog's 75 year strategy on urban governance- Mohhala sabha on the lines of gram sabha.
• 14th FC also gave recommendations.
• Economic survey -2017-18 recommendations.