Pathalgadi : A Critical Way to Empower the Gram Sabha

Economic and Political Weekly, 2019

NIU International Journal of Human Rights , 2021

The tribal communities' socio-spatial differences and rights have been recognized constitutionally. Yet, the tribal areas have been witnessing continuous churning. Among the various reasons, principally, the conflict between the tribal communities and the forest department has often been reported in the news in tribal predominant areas of Telangana and elsewhere in India. It is essential to understand how tribal rights have been protected in this conflict-ridden and complex governance process. How the tribal communities have been resisting the forest department and asserting their rights on the grounds of democratic governance. This study attempts to understand the discourse and the difficulties they face in exercising their rights within the democratic governance framework. The analysis based on field interviews, observation of events, and newspaper reports, argues that the genesis of the conflict between the tribal communities and the forest department is related to the imposition of governmentality by the state through the forest department to restrict the tribal communities' socio-spatial rights.

Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 2016

The specific objectives of the study are (1) Implementation of Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in Odisha, (2) To study the role of Gram Sabha, (3) To analyse the reviews related to PESA Act in Odisha, (4) To suggest some alternatives for the better implementation.Even though the Gram Sabha is organised well, the participants do not have any knowledge about the functioning of it, due to many reasons like long distance, lack of transport facility, etc. The participants do not regularly attend the meeting.

Rajagiri Journal of Social Development, 2019

Gandhiji believed that India lives in her villages. He felt that each village has to endure democratic practice to establish real democracy in the country. Gandhiji was the main architect of decentralisation through panchayats, and believed in complete Swaraj of villages. He was against the centralised planning process. However, the draftsmen of the Indian constitution were doubtful about the self-rule of the villages, as in their opinion villagers lived largely in the world of ignorance and illiteracy. Therefore, contrary to Gandhiji's view of Gram Swaraj, panchayat institutions were placed in the non-justifiable part of the constitution. Throughout the planning process, it was largely realised that a decentralised planning process s s s s through steady Panchayat Raj can resolve the problem of deprivation of the villages. Thus in 1993, according to the 73 rd amendment to the constitution, panchayats were recognised as the third tier of the federal structure and were entrusted with the authority of self-rule. Against this background, the present study tries to show how the self-authoritarian power of the panchayats has been hindered and the scope of decentralised planning became distorted. The study shows that in West Bengal (the state popular for steady Panchayat systems since the 1970s), panchayats are barred from exercising self-rule. The present study, based on primary data collected from two districts of West Bengal (Purulia and North 24 Parganas), has shown how the socio-political factors inhibit the democratic practice of the villages by hindering the process of participatory planning at the panchayat level. The study was done by intensively assessing both the beneficiary and 122 non-beneficiary villagers. It also explores how panchayats have been transformed into centres of political power instead of people's power.

IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 2025

In the face of rapid urbanisation in the last few decades, the skyrocketing high demand for electric power has brought about open-cast coal mining on a massive scale with positive impacts such as economic growth and infrastructure development. However, open-cast coal mining brings adverse environmental, ecological, and social consequences such as degradation of habitats, displacement from settlements, losses of traditional livelihoods and pollution. Conflicts of interest between the inhabitants of upcoming open-cast coal mine regions and the beneficiaries of the coal mine have been prominent in many parts of our country. While popular media highlights the topics such as mass resistance of the villagers or the political movement of the opposition parties against the mining initiatives, this study tries to illuminate a case of non-violent communication that was able to abdicate the imposed opinion of the powerful authority, capitalizing on the Constitutional power of Article 243G under Eleventh Schedule of Panchayati Raj. According to Article 243G of the Constitution, State Legislatures may by law endow Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government. In West Bengal and Tripura, such institutions in the panchayat regions are represented as Gram Sansad. The residents of Rakhakura Gram Sansad under Churuliya-2 Panchayat in Jamuria block of undivided Burdwan district, in 2003, were able to rule out the land acquisition notice for the open-cast coal mining project, issued by the district collector, with the power of Gram Sansad. This present paper is based on a case study of the participatory experience of Gram Sansad mobilisation, in West Bengal. This had been an exceptional case, which showed, unlike the realities of West Bengal villages, the knowledge of the villagers about the importance of Gram Sansad and awareness about the power of Gram Sansad was so conducive that just the passing of legislation brought the desired changes.

This paper is an attempt to underscore the pattern of grassroots democracy and governance in India and the role of Panhayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the development of rural areas. The paper is concerned with the evolutionary perspective of the Panchayati Raj as well as the role of Panchayati Raj in socio-economic growth, socio-political awareness of rural people and the role of local leadership for strengthening the roots of democracy in India. The 73 rd amendment to the Indian Constitution (1992) unequivocally prescribes that the Panchayats should be institutions of self-government through which powers are devolved to the people as to the participation in the process of planning for economic development and social justice, and implementation of schemes and programmes for these purposes. To strengthen and enhance the efficiency of local governance, PRIs were structured and designed as three tier system. The bedrock of this pyramidal structure is the gram sabha (or village assembly), composed of all citizens eligible to vote, and so the foundation of grassroots democracy. Whatever the case, the grass roots level institutions are important instruments in the process of development to lower levels and these processes are accelerated as and when common people identify themselves as active partners. There are so many facets to the issue of grassroots governance and development in India and it is very important because of more than 65 percent of India's population is rural and its fate and future are determined by these PRIs.

The year 2009 marked fifty years since Nagaur in Rajasthan saw the foundations of Panchayati Raj institutions being laid in India. Fifty long years, in which this institution has grown from strength to strength, bringing a large community of hitherto left-out people into the folds of governance. Fifty long years in which the common Indian from the remotest corner of the country has proved that he knows what is best for himself, his family and society, and that given a little support, he can think, decide and act for the collective good of his community. Fifty long years that have helped us rediscover the collective strength of the people at the grassroots after we almost lost it under the torturous period of subjugation by the British. Observing the year 2009-10 as the Year of the Gramsabha was a reconfirmation of this strength of the people.

International Journal of Research in Commerce and Management, 2014

Gandhiji’s political philosophy which paved penchants prime position in building a new India based on gramswaraj paved the way for making panchayats effective instrument of grass root governance and participatory development. It is an undisputable part that decentralization is key to both healthy democracies for the socio-economic development of Indian society. This article seek to present the findings of an empirical study of people participation in gramsabha of Harugeri village a biggest panchayat of Karnataka state, for exploring the extent of peoples participation in gramsabha as a result of an implementation of section of 2 Karnataka state ZP, TP, GP and NP Act – 1993. This made provision for the people’s participation at grass root level for village development it also aims at making some suggestions for making participation of people affective in this institution of decentralize of rural governance. The study is an attempt to understand people participation in gramsabha for r...

2007

As Gandhi often pointed out, India lives in villages and unless village life can be revitalized the nation as a whole can hardly come alive. When India became independent in 1947, perhaps one-third of the villages of India had traditional Panchayats and many of them were far from flourishing conditions. The congress government has made a determined effort to promote the creation of Panchayats and to make them effective units of local self-government. Article 40 of the Constitution clearly declares 'The state shall take necessary actions to organize village Panchayats and to endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of selfgovernment 1 '. The aim was to foster democratic participation, to involve villagers in the development of the community and to reduce the burden of higher level of administration. Though various steps were taken by successive governments to revitalize the system, Gramswaraj through village Panchayats remained as a distant dream till 1992. Bureaucratic apathy, indifference of the people, lack of political will, lack of uniformity etc were the main factors behind the failure of the system.

South Asian Anthropologist, 2024

Panchayat (Extension to Schedule Areas) Act, 1996 popularly known as PESA considered to be a boon to communities who live in forests and hills for continuity of self-rule and empowerment. The main aim of this act is to preserve the Janjati culture and land from the exploitation of so-called outsiders. Gram Sabha is the soul of Gram Panchayats in Scheduled Areas vested enormous powers to protect the land, forests, customs, and traditions of Janjati and avail government benefits at the grass root level. Though its provisions are implemented in the election of Panchayat members, women's representation, arrangement of Gram Sabha, control over village-level offices, natural resources, etc., the real spirit of the PESA Act 1996 is missing at grassroot level. Mining of minerals has become a major threat in Scheduled Areas as it led to displacement of people from their original habitats. In majority of the cases, mining is taking place without the approval of Gram Panchayat or Gram Sabha. Though the transfer of land to non-tribal is not permitted in these areas, many non-tribals procure the land for mining and other purposes on benami transactions. Under these circumstances, the present study tries to understand the dynamics of implementation of PESA provisions in Fifth Schedule Areas. An effort is also made to understand the overlaps between traditional and modern Panchayats in conserving their customary law, traditions, and culture from anthropological perspective.