Panchayati Raj Under Modi Not For Dalits, Women and Minorities
rgupta.substack.com
Published in the Daily O Read More April 24th is celebrated in the country as Panchayati Raj Day to mark the day when the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force. The Amendment gave constitutional status to panchayats, provided for regular elections and mandated reservation for dalits, advisasis, and women, hitherto inadequately represented. The BJP-led Central Government used the occasion to try and overhaul its urban anti-poor image in the face of persistent rural distress through a two week “Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday” blitz, which culminated in an address by the Prime Minister to all the panchayats of the country. In his speech, the Prime Minister reiterated Gandhiji’s dictum that India lives in its villages and exhorted women representatives of Panchayats to take a leadership role in building toilets. It is not clear how much of the rural electorate was convinced by the Prime Minister but the Union minister for urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation extolled the BJP’s commitment to “gram swaraj” in a recent piece. However, contrary to the rhetoric, BJP-led Governments – supported by the Prime Minister - have actively undermined the inclusive and democratic character of Panchayats as envisioned in the 73rd amendment. More perniciously, the BJP has used governance in local bodies to attack the very construct of citizenship in a democracy.
Panchayati Raj Under Modi Not For Dalits, Women and Minorities
Panchayati Raj Under Modi Not For Dalits…
Panchayati Raj Under Modi Not For Dalits, Women and Minorities
Published in the Daily O Read More April 24th is celebrated in the country as Panchayati Raj Day to mark the day when the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force. The Amendment gave constitutional status to panchayats, provided for regular elections and mandated reservation for dalits, advisasis, and women, hitherto inadequately represented. The BJP-led Central Government used the occasion to try and overhaul its urban anti-poor image in the face of persistent rural distress through a two week “Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday” blitz, which culminated in an address by the Prime Minister to all the panchayats of the country. In his speech, the Prime Minister reiterated Gandhiji’s dictum that India lives in its villages and exhorted women representatives of Panchayats to take a leadership role in building toilets. It is not clear how much of the rural electorate was convinced by the Prime Minister but the Union minister for urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation extolled the BJP’s commitment to “gram swaraj” in a recent piece. However, contrary to the rhetoric, BJP-led Governments – supported by the Prime Minister - have actively undermined the inclusive and democratic character of Panchayats as envisioned in the 73rd amendment. More perniciously, the BJP has used governance in local bodies to attack the very construct of citizenship in a democracy.