PANCHAYATI SWARAJ
Second Freedom; when my village becomes self-responsible
Unleashing Village Community Power
The Community has great potential. Team up. Work to a plan.
The expectations from village communities were much more in ancient times.
They took much more responsibility and were better expressions of the peoples’ wishes.
That was destroyed by the colonial system. (read the book
'Rising to second freedom:
Enlightened Minds Ignited Spirit' to understand how this happened.)
The Indian leadership at the time of independence did not restore the villages to that
original status. This was ...
because the leadership of new India did not feel the grassroots was ready for it.
And Gandhiji was not alive to enforce it. Subsequently great efforts were put in by leaders of
free India to deliver that freedom but for various reasons the original vitality
has not been attained.
Village communities must cease the initiative and take up responsibility. The slavish dependent attitude must go. In its place a 'we are responsible' attitude must develop.
Don’t wait for government to create new laws to facilitate this. With whatever scope there is in law today great things can be achieved. Start working together, take up responsibility, this is your show.
Village communities must cease the initiative and take up responsibility. The slavish dependent attitude must go. In its place a 'we are responsible' attitude must develop.
Don’t wait for government to create new laws to facilitate this. With whatever scope there is in law today great things can be achieved. Start working together, take up responsibility, this is your show.
Look out for great grassroots leadership: appreciate and follow
Amazing village revolutions exist in India even today. Remarkable villages have taken up
initiative and have sought to bring prosperity to their members. These villages have
benefitted from great visions; effective leaders have stood up and taken charge.
Search for them, learn from them, Call them to help you, customise their strategies
to suit your village and take charge. Many such examples are indicated to you in this website.
Team up as you work on the SIX FREEDOMS
. Generate plans for your community.
(Pursue the following five stages to get there)
Step 1: Swaraj Seedling(s)
This is the stage in which awareness of the idea comes to the village. A small group of about five people pour upon the idea of village freedom and study different village revolutions from all over the country and abroad.
Step 2: Freedom Nursery
In this stage, the seedling expands and joins with all the other seedlings in the village. ... Together, they split themselves up into small groups, each focused on one or the other of the six freedoms. Each freedom team looks into its area of specialization. They look outward for solutions available from across the world. They look inside their villages and see where their weaknesses are and how these solutions are relevant to themselves. They start making a list of projects that need to be taken up in the village. They all come together, discuss the six freedoms and try to create a harmonious vision for the village.
Step 2a: Freedom Nursery Presentation
The Freedom Nursery presents its findings and understanding to the village executive first and then to the Gram Sabha.
Step 3: Village Freedom Council
The Gram Sabha listens to the presentation, understands it and sanctions the creation of a Village Freedom Council which is a formalized structure of the Freedom Nursery. It consists of the core members of the Freedom Nursery including other members as the Gram Sabha deems fit. The Gram Sabha grants permission to the Village Freedom Council to invite help from NRVs (Non-Resident Villagers), NGOs and government agencies.
Step 4: The NRV (Non Resident Villagers') Meet
The Village Freedom Council, with the blessings and support of the Gram Sabha, invites all NRVs, NGO representatives and local government officials and has a two-day discussion/seminar on the pursuit of freedom of the village.
Step 5: The Village Swaraj Master Plan
Based on the proceedings of the NRV Meet, the studies and analyses that have happened before that and due consultation with all stakeholders from within and outside the village, the Village Freedom Council comes out with a Village Swaraj Master Plan. This master plan sets clear priority on what projects must be taken up immediately, in the near future and in the long run. It also has a list of projects ready on paper so that when the opportunity comes, in terms of time or money, it can be implemented quickly.
Note: This is only a guideline indicating some milestones. Each village must do what works for it. The aim is to reach the goal of having a Master Plan. Once this is in place, the village energies will automatically get channelized at achieving it.
This is the stage in which awareness of the idea comes to the village. A small group of about five people pour upon the idea of village freedom and study different village revolutions from all over the country and abroad.
Step 2: Freedom Nursery
In this stage, the seedling expands and joins with all the other seedlings in the village. ... Together, they split themselves up into small groups, each focused on one or the other of the six freedoms. Each freedom team looks into its area of specialization. They look outward for solutions available from across the world. They look inside their villages and see where their weaknesses are and how these solutions are relevant to themselves. They start making a list of projects that need to be taken up in the village. They all come together, discuss the six freedoms and try to create a harmonious vision for the village.
Step 2a: Freedom Nursery Presentation
The Freedom Nursery presents its findings and understanding to the village executive first and then to the Gram Sabha.
Step 3: Village Freedom Council
The Gram Sabha listens to the presentation, understands it and sanctions the creation of a Village Freedom Council which is a formalized structure of the Freedom Nursery. It consists of the core members of the Freedom Nursery including other members as the Gram Sabha deems fit. The Gram Sabha grants permission to the Village Freedom Council to invite help from NRVs (Non-Resident Villagers), NGOs and government agencies.
Step 4: The NRV (Non Resident Villagers') Meet
The Village Freedom Council, with the blessings and support of the Gram Sabha, invites all NRVs, NGO representatives and local government officials and has a two-day discussion/seminar on the pursuit of freedom of the village.
Step 5: The Village Swaraj Master Plan
Based on the proceedings of the NRV Meet, the studies and analyses that have happened before that and due consultation with all stakeholders from within and outside the village, the Village Freedom Council comes out with a Village Swaraj Master Plan. This master plan sets clear priority on what projects must be taken up immediately, in the near future and in the long run. It also has a list of projects ready on paper so that when the opportunity comes, in terms of time or money, it can be implemented quickly.
Note: This is only a guideline indicating some milestones. Each village must do what works for it. The aim is to reach the goal of having a Master Plan. Once this is in place, the village energies will automatically get channelized at achieving it.
Very Important!
Party leaders are important so are village leaders. KEEP THEM SEPERATE
A political party leader has a role and a village leader has his. the two roles should not mix.
It does not bode well for the system. The system requires both kinds of leaders.
The village leaders must care for the entire village community and can rise up in
service into the representative bodies of the Panchayati Raj up to the District level.
Political leaders are, on the other hand, important for the functioning of the national and
state polity. When they work in the grassroots they can help the village develop strength
in important ways. So both are important for the village. But mixing the roles will cause
great damage to the village community power; it will interfere in the village's ability to take
responsibilty for itself.
This is similar to the situation where a bus driver should do his job and the bus conductor should do his job in the present system. If both do their jobs well then the system will run properly and efficiently. If a driver has one hand on the wheel and with another hand he is issuing tickets, the bus system, as it exists now, will become inefficient. So also, if a village is aware that a certain person holds office in a particular political party then that person should not be voted or selected for village leadership.
If this is not strictly followed it will destory village unity and that weakens the village community. The village freedom movement will come to a stop.
KEEP THEM SEPERATE!
This is similar to the situation where a bus driver should do his job and the bus conductor should do his job in the present system. If both do their jobs well then the system will run properly and efficiently. If a driver has one hand on the wheel and with another hand he is issuing tickets, the bus system, as it exists now, will become inefficient. So also, if a village is aware that a certain person holds office in a particular political party then that person should not be voted or selected for village leadership.
If this is not strictly followed it will destory village unity and that weakens the village community. The village freedom movement will come to a stop.
KEEP THEM SEPERATE!