The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Expert flays politicisation of panchayati raj

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 16, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Expert flays politicisation of panchayati raj

Special Correspondent

It will create a situation similar to a caste-ridden society, warns Tandon

Thiruvananthapuram: Extreme politicisation of the panchayati raj system will affect the participatory method of governance and divide society, Rajesh Tandon, founder president of the society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), has said.

Mr. Tandon, who was in the city recently to attend a workshop organised by the Sahayi Centre for Collective Learning and Action, said the political agenda should not be allowed to take precedence over participatory governance. "Extreme politicisation will create a situation similar to a caste-ridden society. Some sections will be marginalised and divisions will become sharper".

Mr. Tandon termed the struggle to preserve the Silent Valley in Kerala as a shining example of grassroots-level mobilisation. "Unfortunately, over the years, even genuine people's movements in the State have been boxed in to either to the left or right of the political spectrum," he observed.

An ardent advocate for a self-reliant voluntary sector, Mr. Tandon proposes a network of local- level support organisations to empower the masses. But non-governmental organisations (NGOs) must recognise their mandate to work as social volunteers and keep away from politics.

Under his guidance, PRIA has built up a network of over 3,000 NGOs to assist the devolution of powers to local bodies. Empowerment from below is our motto, he explains. The PRIA was active in mobilising grama sabhas and training elected representatives. It has also helped set up panchayat resource centres. By 2000, the PRIA extended its activities to the urban areas. "Strengthening gram sabhas is still a major challenge," Mr.Tandon says.

"Although Kerala has been successful in terms of devolution of powers to local bodies, line departments still hold sway in other States. It is up to panchayat leaders to demand more powers," he says.

PRIA has also been pressuring State Governments to improve infrastructure and services. "In another five years, taxpayers in the country may revolt unless services are improved. The low turnout of voters at elections has to be taken seriously. People feel that it is enough to change the Government very five years. They will have to be convinced of their role in governance."

Mr.Tandon also sees the need to invest in capacity-building at the grassroots level. "Block-level resource centres and specialised training for the representatives of marginalised sections have to be given top priority", he said.

Mr.Tandon feels that fly-by-night operators have dented the credibility of NGOs across the country. He advocates a networked system for the monitoring of NGOs. A transparent regulatory mechanism with a self-reporting system will go a long way in restoring the credibility of NGOs, he says.

PRIA has been involved in efforts to create a global network of NGOs to promote the participatory method of social development. "We have put pressure on the World Bank to insist on participation in governance as a parameter for funding programmes," he said.

He said the networking effort in South Asia has been difficult because of geopolitical reasons and the visa restrictions imposed by countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. "PRIA has been successful in building up a strong network in the South East Asian region spanning Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. We have been able to influence ASEAN but unfortunately SAARC has remained elusive", he adds.

An electronic engineer with a management degree from the IIM-Kolkata, Mr.Tandon also has a PhD from the Case Western Reserve University. He has served on numerous government task forces and committees, including the committee constituted by the Ministry of Rural Development for the empowerment of panchayats, the secretariat to the committee on decentralisation and democracy and the national committee to review the working of the Constitution.

He was a member of the advisory group on rural development and the Citizens and Governance Programme of the Commonwealth Foundation. He was also the chairman of the International Forum on Capacity Building of Southern NGOs and the Asian vice-president of the International Council for Adult Education.

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