TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024
The training for MLAs is done and dusted. Indeed it's a good thing for one to realise that MLAs should be aware of their duties and responsibilities considering they are people's representatives. Till the time an MLA does not realise why he has become an MLA in the first place, most will consider just physical development as a whole. In fact, it's the need of the hour to train each and every person from the village to further strengthen democracy. The training should stress on creating an inseparable and socially united village community which will work together hand in hand.
To create independent villages, focus should be on training individuals who will smartly lead unions of youth, women, farmers and so on. Such unions act as mirrors to society and will make people realise how questions faced by his or her village are impacting their own personal everyday lifestyles. One already knows the answer when questions arise and these unions will play an important role in reaffirming those answers. This will plant the seed of willingness to act on those questions in order to resolve them as a one united entity.
Simply put, the enthusiasm to work should be created among masses with substantial education and training. For that, the officials working for social and rural development programmes should steadily and smartly guide the gram panchayats in order to become responsible and vigilant institutions. Institutions such as these should represent the whole village regardless of one's economical or social status and protect the core
intent of its people. In short, the village unions and institutions should be developed in such a way that they become permanent pillars of democracy and independence.
Currently words like 'Atmanirbhar' and 'Swayampurn Goa' are very much in trend. The aforementioned directions can be used as a foundation to bring those words into reality. If one is to dream about a democracy of new India where every individual is taken care of, the start of it should be from helping villages to become ideal symbols of independence and self-sufficiency. The voters should be confident enough about their chosen representative that he will be a thorough guide when it comes to development and a capable ruler when it comes to handling politics in a democratic way. It should be carved in people's minds that their responsibility doesn't end merely after casting their vote.
The elected members of the panchayat will be able to make an impact only when the villagers actively start paying attention to the social queries and will be willing to contribute their efforts wherever needed. Also the panchayat members should understand that they are answerable to their voters and hence, must respect their wishes and expectations.
The panchayat is a democratic institution that acts as a guide for the village's development, which is why the responsibility to speed up the process is on its members. To strengthen the members to carry out the duties enthusiastically, education and training is vital. If the participants suggest new ideas then those ideas should be executed and the government should support such participants. The word social development means that a society where it helped to develop itself, multiple social philosophies have come to the fore and intentions have mainly been to eliminate poverty, improve common man's lifestyle and to develop a state so strong that it will protect its people.
Now, the biggest challenge in front of the system is to change the point of view when it comes to the development of people from the villages. The common expectation of improving one's lifestyle is omnipresent but they will have to be taught how to carefully utilise natural resources of the village. The old ways of living and earning are not satisfactory anymore, new experiences should be made available; something that's possible with education and training.
