Cutting at the roots of democracy

Cutting at the roots of democracy 


Herald Review August 3, 2014 

The efficacy and fairness of grassroots governance will be undermined and irreparably damaged if the government implements its decision to make amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act to hold panchayat and zilla panchayat elections along party lines. 

LISA ANN MONTEIRO 


Ignoring pressing problems and issues confronting panchayats and their functioning, the government has instead mooted a radical change in the way elections are being conducted at the grassroots level. The government is pushing for local governance along narrow, party lines.

But it has not been all smooth sailing.

A few panchayats have recently passed resolutions at their gram sabhas opposing the government’s proposal.

Ten members of the South Zilla Panchayat at a meeting also opposed the government’s plan. The Chief Minister, they felt, was misguiding the people. What they want is for the government to give them the powers due to them.

Constitutional expert Amrut Kansar doesn’t believe elections at the panchayat level along party affiliations will be healthy for the State and its people. Society, at least at the village level, should remain intact, he says.

“ Once party differences crop up, this will lead to divisions within families and society. Community bonds will be broken.” If parties fight elections on the basis of economic planning, then things could be different. “ Unfortunately each party is fighting the election using character assassination. Where is the sanctity in elections today?” he asks.

Nelly Rodrigues, South Goa Zilla panchayat chairperson finds this sudden proposed amendment highly suspect.

She believes that people’s views should be taken into consideration before any amendment is implemented.

She says, “ It should be a bottom up approach. Let’s not forget that in a democracy people’s opinion is supreme.” She fears that elections along party lines will only lead to too much interference from political parties and inefficient and corrupt individuals will be put forward and will end up being a burden on the people.

In April last year the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was upbraided for his disregard of gram sabhas. He felt that they enjoyed merely an ‘ advisory capacity’ within the panchayati raj system and were at best meant to play ‘ watchdog’ over the functioning of local bodies. Activists across the board argued that gram sabhas have a right to decide on the development of their respective villages.

Dr Dattaram Desai, an Aam Aadmi Party supporter says his village was able to resist the hazardous Nylon 6, 6 project back in 1995 because of a decision taken by the gram sabha. The decision was taken as final and cases were then withdrawn and the villagers emerged victorious. As a telling example, he emphasizes the ‘ ideal’ panchayat of Hiware Bazaar in Amednagar, Maharashtra where all decisions for the village are taken by the gram sabha. “ Government officers have to attend and answer questions as ultimately it is they who are accountable.

The 73rd amendment gives villagers the power to throw out a project that is harmful to them,” explains Dr Desai.

Educationist Prabhakar Timble feels the further politics is kept from the functioning of the panchayat, the more conducive the environment will be for social and economic development.

John Fernandes, president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee ( GPCC) also looks askance at the BJP’s proposed amendment. He predicts the system will be made a mockery of if certain rules aren’t put in place to curb party defections first. He says, “ The Parliament and State Assembly have anti- defection laws. The Canadian Parliament has an ethics committee and defection is considered as unprincipled. An ethics committee should be first formed here to control defection.” When asked about the many panchayats that take pride in the fact that they are still able to function independently today and don’t want politics to infiltrate into the system at the village level, Fernandes asserted that such independence should be encouraged.

He said, “ People’s wishes should be taken into consideration. If people are for the amendment then we will support them.” Deputy sarpanch of Carmona Orlando Da Silva believes that there are many people who want to function independently and don’t want to align with any political party. “ Are they supposed to fall at the feet of politicians? I believe panchayat matters shouldn’t be mixed with party politics,” he says.

The government, he feels, is sidestepping many pressing issues, pointing out that absolutely nothing is being done by it to acquire land in villages for the locals. “ With rates soaring, villagers aren’t able to buy even 100 sq mtrs of land,” he says.

Minister for panchayats Laxmikant Parsekar however insists that this amendment is necessary and will help bring stability to panchayats. By adhering to the old Act, when a sarpanch was elected directly, there was little chance of him being overthrown. He would work for five years unless he was disqualified on some grounds.

The most popular excuse used today by panch members to overthrow their sarpanch is “ we have not been taken into confidence”. Da Silva adds that a panch member should be made to prove how the sarpanch defaulted.

Other problems being conveniently overlooked by the government are that of panchayats receiving minimal finances and not having permanent secretaries. The Anjuna panchayat, for instance, has seen six secretaries in a span of two years. This has seriously impacted the functioning of the panchayat.

Secretaries holding additional charge can devote at best only two days each week to their panchayats.

Besides, the government doesn’t support the panchayat when it asks for police protection to carry out inspections into illegal constructions.

Alakananda Shringare, assistant professor of political science at Goa University cannot understand why the government is so keen on this amendment. “ There’s no guarantee that the amendment will bring about stability,” she says. “ There has to be a reason for an amendment. What’s the government’s reason? Politics will enter into the system and impact the functioning of the panchayat. The panchayat has so many other problems such as devolution of powers, finances and accountability that need more attention. It’s not fair that while the voice of the MLAs is being heard, that of the people is ignored.” Royla Fernandes, the former sarpanch of Benaulim says this proposed amendment goes against the very grain of local self- governance that came through Gandhi. Should this be implemented, she says we will be controlled by politicians “ right from the Centre to the grassroots and the concept of the gram will be lost. Once parties come into the picture, the agenda will be that of the MLA’s and the views of the villagers will not be taken into consideration.” She contends that political interference can at least be controlled to some extent now, but once this move is legitimized then it will become the system itself.

Deputy sarpanch of Anjuna Patrick Almeida believes that the amendment, should it come about, will turn panchayats into dictatorships with the MLAs dictating terms to the panch members. “ It will no longer be panchayati raj but minister’s raj,” he says.

“ We treat all our villagers the same. But this will change if we have elections on party lines.” Soter D’souza, executive coordinator, department of governance of CSJP, believes people left to themselves will do a better job. This is the government’s modus operandi, he asserts, to maintain a complete hold over the people by putting their cadres into the very last leg of the system. Fearing it will only bring about more chaos, he says it will “ legitimize the nuisance caused by politicians in the panchayats.” Review Bureau