Capacity Building

Once a favourable legal framework has been provided, a state-wide campaign would need to be launched to build the capacity of the people to actively and effectively participate in Gram Sabha and Panchayat. The following strategies could be used for this purpose.

1. Preparing awareness material in the form of booklets, pamphlets and films.
2. Training a large team of student volunteers, who could each ‘adopt’ one or two villages, spend their vacations in those villages, and educate people on how to participate in Panchayat and Gram Sabha proceedings effectively.

We must keep in mind that it would take time for positive outcomes to start pouring in. It could even take a few years as has been the experience of Brazil. In the initial stages, people would also make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. That’s how democracy grows and matures. But once people realize the potential of expressing themselves and get used to this system, it is expected to not only provide relief to the people, but would also yield huge political benefits to the party, which implements it.