MARGAO: Ahead of the panchayat elections, which are likely to be held in the month of June, several NGOs and like-minded people have come together and have begun the Movement for People’s Panchayats. This is aimed to achieve participatory democracy and self-rule by villagers and to create awareness of the Panchayati Raj Act amongst the villagers.
Members of the movement, who are in effect, awareness coaches, state that this is a totally non-political movement, and the people in general, are showing more interest in learning about the Panchayati Raj Act.
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So far, the Movement for People’s Panchayats
already had meetings in several villages such as Kundaim, Borim, Sao Jose de Areal, Raia, Cavelossim, Benaulim, Mapusa, Chandor, Betalbatim, Seraulim, etc and many more are planned in coming days. They have received a good response from the villagers of Pissurlem, Guleli and Surla.
Social activist Abhijit Prabhudesai said that the objectives of the Movement for People’s Panchayats are to spread awareness of constitutional and statutory powers of panchayats and gram sabhas, to explain to the people how their rights and powers have been denied in the past and how gram sabha powers can be used to end people’s struggles in the courts and on the streets.
The meetings are focussed on achieving the aims of participatory democracy and self-rule by villagers, besides to explain to the people how the makers of our Constitution had a clear vision that only the people can take right decisions.
The big message of this movement is that governance can only be through self-governance by independent village republics, and panchayats are only people’s panchayats, who will always consult and obey the people.
Further, the objective is to explain to the people how it is essential that only those panchas who stand for elections to represent people, and not those who are agents of any politician or party, are elected in the future
“There is no democracy in Goa or India at present, and we are being fooled since 1950 that we are a democracy. Democracy will take birth when self-rule by people is implemented by ensuring decision-making through participatory gram sabhas and sovereignty of the people’s panchayats,” he stated.
Diana Tavares said, “People are struggling to survive because panchayats are working against people and are helping builders and others to destroy our villages.”
“The poor and oppressed are living in fear of panch members, who abuse their powers to silence those who are facing violence and injustice. It is high time that we change this and panch members stand up for the people and village. This is our last chance, in five years it will be too late,” she added.
The meetings assume significance given the approaching elections focused on the 73rd amendment, and how Goa is the only State that has not devolved powers to the village panchayats, thereby restricting what all these local grass-root bodies can do and should be doing.
Swapnesh Sherlekar said they are holding such types of public meetings across the State. “The purpose of these Goa Panchayati Raj awareness programmes is to clear the misconceptions related to the Act and to create awareness amongst the villagers. We believe that when gram sabha is well informed it will be a deterrent for the corrupt and incompetent persons to control the panchayat and consequently the village,” Sherlekar said.
Xavier Fernandes of Loutolim said they are getting good response from all villagers. “Panchayat body should stand with the people at any point of time. As per the act, the gram sabha is the supreme and we are focusing on this in order to make aware of the rights of the public,” he stated.
He expressed hopes that this mission of theirs will create an impact in the upcoming panchayat elections. That it will is borne out by the responses of the common man. A unique initiative where people are not waiting for devolution of powers to them. They have evolved instead to take the powers that belong to them.
