Panchayati Raj : Democracy or fake show

I am from Jharkhand, where panchayat elections held recently. It was hoped that this would surely pave a way for participation of people in making efforts of local developments and curb the centralisation of power. Even after the six months of election, the elected member of  for gram panchayat, panchayat samiti and Zila parishad are totally unaware of their charter of duty, power and participation in development works.
 
What is felt generally that government machinery at block and district level are least interested about the participation of these Public Representative.  The reasons they say that there is no clear guidelines about the working of these local government institutions other intentions may be fear of loosing a part of their discretionary  powers or doubt over of efficiency of these elected reprenstatives. I want to mention an incident where DC of our locality held a meeting with these reprenstatives, where the Pramukh requested DC to interfere in anganbadi programs where several discrepancies are continuously made, when he requested for list of sanction materials  under the Aanganbadi program, he was simply denied saying that this cannot be given to everybody. As under the RTI act one get the information above this, but as it is unknown to the Pramukh  he had been simply turned down. This one simple example where we see that how much government machinery is interested in parting their work with this panchayati institutions.

 If government has real interest in inching towards the real form of democracy, the transfer of power must be initiated despite all the obstacles, or at least the newly formed institution should be taken care of. That is the only way to get the goal of Gram Swarajya of Mahatma Gandhi.

एक नेता वो थे एक नेता ये

व्यस्त जीवन के लम्हों के बीच, एक पल कभी ऐसा आता है,
कुछ चित्र पटल पे छाते हैं कुछ स्मरण मुझे हो जाता है,
एक नेता वो थे एक नेता ये.

फौजी के पोशाक में एक नेता सामने आता , लड़ने का साहस उनमे दिखता चुनौतियों  को वो बुलाता, 

आज कफ़न के रंग का खद्दर पहने एक नेता सामने आता,  आलोचना सुन के मुस्कुराता 
और कहता ' भाई लड़ने से क्या  फायदा ! ड्रेस न सही फेस   देखकर तो समझो,
शांति  का पुजारी, समझौते  का समर्थक   मैं,  चुनौतियों से लड़ पता तो नेतागिरी के फिल्ड में क्यों आता?'
व्यस्त जीवन के लम्हों......

फटकता नहीं था कलंक पास उनके, आज ये सीने से कलंक को लगाकर कहते
कलंक नहीं कल के चुनाव में आने वाला अंक है ये .

एक बार उन्होंने आवाज लगाई ' तुम मुझे खून दो,  मैं  तुम्हे आजादी  दूंगा'

आज ये भोली जनता  पे हँसते और कहते  ' सुबह  मुझे वोट दो  शाम को ही चोट दूंगा'
व्यस्त जीवन के लम्हों.....

उनकी एक  पुकार थी ' ईंट का जवाब पत्थर से दो  'आज ये  पूंजीपतियों से कहते हैं ' सात लगा लो और  सत्तर लो '


एक थे जिन्होंने आई सी एस छोड़ी  देश के लिए  आज भी छोड़ी जाती है पर कैश के लिए .
व्यस्त जीवन के लम्हों के बीच.......

“we” AND “THEY”

Rightly said “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Not long we have seen the reactions against the absolute form of corruption and even when politely requested for a measure to check it, there have been voices from all nook and corner of political corridors. Whether it was ‘nobody should surpass democratic spirit and democratic institutions’ or ‘lokpal bill se kya ho jayega?’. These explain  their  inner restlessness, even though they pretend to support  the things. 

I have read about ‘Gandhian Movements’ , heard about JP andolan and witnessed the ‘muhim’ against corruption’ by Anna Hazare through media recently, thanks for excellent coverage by them despite their needed hectic schedules between Cricket World Cup and IPL-IV. I feel that this is probably the first time when such a great response has been served by all classes of ‘aam admi’. Right from the old ones who have seen India winning freedom from the English rulers and loosing it in the hands of some handful leaders, people from middle class who till date had least time to engage in ‘bekar ke jhanjhato me’ , youth and students who were till date busy between ‘exam or mobile phone applications’. But despite all the things, this time  ‘we’ cried and ‘THEY’ had to listen.

As Anna declared this rightly as the first step, we have got the beginning but ‘miles to go’ should not be forgotten. The forefront leaders rather should be called fighters have to continue, since we Indians have a habit of sleeping again with a few yawning in bed in morning after waking up. What I feel that this muhim against corruption should be more organized. This movement should take shape of a pressure group in National level if not as a political party because this fight is not going to be an easy one, as ‘we’, aam aadmi,  are against ‘THEM’- the mightier ones.