PRIs, An Alternative Discourse

Recent Panchayati Raj Institution’s (hereinafter called PRIs) elections were held in state of Uttar Pradesh. As like any election be it state assembly election or Parliamentary election, this was bloody with full of violence and corrupt practices. It is interesting that in the last decade these elections were not only have been quite challengeable for the state machinery but also for the society since it has been resulting in big horse-trading for the electoral majority.

To my surprise, when PRIs were articulated the basic aim was to strengthen the democracy and thereby strengthening the bond of democracy up to the village level. One other idea was to decentralize the decision making process and allowing the village as a unit in the planning process. It was observed by all the commissions and committees in this regard that unless we allow the participation of villages and people in the policy making and its implementation process probably we would not be in position to achieve of constitutional goal of making a true socialist state.

It was also argued that let the people decide every suitable model of development for them and by that process creating not only job and venture for their development but also giving a sense of confidence that these illiterate and ignored people can also be the instrument of change.

With the constitutional amendment and statutory backup, these PRIs became instrumental in the planning and its implementation process however it has its own drawback. More and power and money has bee assigned to these PRIs and by the time they became local pressure group not only in creating new political avenues but also with a greater role in the society a big power block in the larger context. They became what is infamous character “chattrapp” of the medieval era. The Gram Pradhan started aspiring for Block Pramikhs who in turn became the future grooms for the assembly elections and so on so forth. This power structure has at least following features—

• Mobilization of power towards rural from city centre. This is quite interesting. The assembly member can only now enjoy five star hotels and with lots of its fun but when they are going to came back to their constituency they have to take support of local “chattrapp” otherwise their position is bound to undermine and underrated.
• During election, these ‘chattrapps’ convert themselves from ‘political pressure group’ to a ‘power groups’ their status must be pledged and remunerated. In such a situation candidates for assembly election makes campaigning not for the people but for these ‘power groups’. It is a big question mark-whether these PRIs, institutionally strengthening democracy?????

One has to see now these developments curiously and examine whether they really empowering democracy at grassroots and if yes, is it legitimate way of doing so?? As for as my opinion is concern I am still optimistic.