The past, present and future of panchayats

By

Amar Nath Wadehra & Randeep Wadehra

“Local Self Government is, and must be, the basis of any true system of democracy” – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

When one considers that, presently, India has about 2,50,000 Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) covering its almost entire rural population one wonders at the spread and history of this phenomenon, which is so unique to our country. Let us not forget that PRIs are the most enduring and largest ever form of self-governance, based on the principle of decentralization, in the history of humankind. Although the term may be of more recent origin the institutions existed even in the Vedic times. In fact, throughout India’s history, whatever may the forms of government might have been, panchayats at the village level provided consistent means of self-governance through Samitis and Sabhas.   Each village panchayat used to be a part of a group of seven to ten similar village panchayats that managed assorted portfolios including defence, tax collection, development, law and order etc. During the Mauryan period, for example, the gama (village) and nigama (town) formed basic units of governance for rural and urban areas respectively. Each of these had a headman who administered on the basis of due authority from the king. Tax collection, justice and other portfolios of local importance were managed by the headman and his colleagues who were either appointed by the king or elected by local villagers/townspeople.

Although India may never have been a single political entity before the British Raj there were strong traditions of democratic and decentralized governance common to all villages and towns throughout the Indian subcontinent.

However, during the medieval period the panchayat system almost went to seed as the Mughal rulers believed in highly centralized form of administration. Therefore, these units, which once formed a part of the government, began to function without any help or authority from Delhi; but still managed to run the village affairs to a significant extent. However, the role of panchayats during this period became more social than administrative. This ability to adapt to changing political realities has stood the institution of panchayat in good stead during various upheavals that visited India over the millennia. It also played a vital role in preserving the essence of the Indian society. Therefore, when during the Mughal rule the panchayats were replaced with the zamindari and kotwali systems of governance, these did not disappear but resorted to low profile socially relevant activities that kept the basic societal units – the Indian village and family – intact.

With the arrival of the British the panchayati system began to be resuscitated. For instance, when Lord Ripon became the Viceroy of India he made notable contribution to the development of local government in the country. In 1882, he created small administrative units in order to make local governance more efficient. Moreover, to ensure popular participation in the management of local affairs he put into place an effective election process. No wonder Lord Ripon is considered to be the founding father of urban local government. Although the rural areas remained largely ignored – thanks to the continuation of the zamindari and ryotwari systems – panchayats remained active, albeit in a limited way. The Decentralization Commission of 1907, while transferring more powers to the provinces did provide for some improvements in local self-government. But these did not go very far and essentially kept panchayats on periphery of the governmental superstructure. Even when Indian political parties won local/provincial elections and formed governments in such provinces as the Punjab and the United Provinces etc panchayats remained peripheral to their administrative concerns. However, the Congress ministries formed in various local bodies did help in setting off the process of democratization of panchayati institutions. Gandhiji had great faith in the efficacy of panchayats as means of administration at the village level. As a votary of Panchayati Raj the Mahatma wanted it to play a far more significant role at the social, administrative and political levels than what had been envisaged till then.

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