Panchayat Raj system & its impact on socio-economic changes in Assam

Sanjib Kumar Sarma

(sanjibsarmabajali@gmail.com)

Assam is a village-oriented state having the majority of its population lives in villages and is employed directly or indirectly in agriculture and other agro-based occupations. As such, the progress and prosperity of her economy are largely dependent on the development of the rural economy. Assam is to be found not in her few cities, but numerous villages. Even in the pre-historic age, Indian villages were the centre of affluence and prosperity.

Assam is located in the North Eastern part of India. In the Vedic Age, villages were given more importance. They played a dominant role in the economy of the country. There is also a reference to "Gramani" (village leader) in Rigveda. It seems that India was and also will remain in the future land of the village community. It would hardly be possible to grow and prosper without developing her villages and rural population. The rural character of India's national economy is reflected in the very high proportion of the population living in rural areas with more than 700 million people living in rural areas.

The concept of Panchayati Raj: The word 'panchayat' occupies a remarkable position in the history and social system of India. The literal meaning of Panchayat indicates its formation and function. Panch + Ayat = Panchayat. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Panchen' and 'Ayatanam'. The Sanskrit word 'Panchen' means five members. A body of five persons formed to arbitrate and settle disputes is called 'Panchas'. Further, 'Ayatanam' denotes the place of functioning of 'Panchas'. So, in this sense, panchayat means the 'office of Panchas'. According to Indian mythology, these five members are of utmost importance and are representatives of God. Each one of them stands for the five elements that have constituted the earth. This conception of 'Panchas' is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "Panchayatani" which means the group of five deities. They are Ganapati, Vishnu, Sankar, Devi and Surya.

In February 1992, the first panchayat election under the Act of 1986 was held in Assam. The election was conducted based on the electoral rolls of the Assam Legislative Assembly. But due to some controversies relating to the electoral roll and also due to the initiation of the movement against foreign nationals in Assam, panchayat elections had been adjourned for a decade. By this time the provisions of the Act of 1986 went through various changes by way of amendments. The perspective of the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the states of India was substantially changed by the 73rd (Constitution) Amendment Act, 1992 which came into force with effect on 24th April 1993. This amendment of the Constitution sought to give some uniformity to Panchayati Raj Institutions throughout the country by providing uniform guidelines and directives. Following the provisions of the 73rd Amendment Act, of 1992, the Government of Assam enacted the Assam Panchayat Act, of 1994 which covers almost all the features of the 73rd Amendment Act. According to the provisions of the new Act, the Panchayati Raj system continues to be the three-tier with some modifications. In place of the Mahakuma Parishad, there shall be a Zilla Parishad at the district level. The reservation for women was increased from 30.00 per cent (as per the 1986 Act) to 33.33 per cent in the new Act. Reservation for the SCs/ STs in non-Autonomous District Council areas shall be in proportion to their population. The Act provides all 29 items as per the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution to be transferred to PRIs. In conformity with the 73rd (Constitution) Amendment Act, the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994 has provided for the constitution of a State Election Commission and also for holding elections to the panchayat and municipal bodies. After a gap of a decade, the panchayat election was held in Assam under the supervision of the State Election Commission in 2002, and panchayats had been constituted all over the state except in the Hill Autonomous District Council areas. It completed its full term in 2007 and the election was held in Assam to constitute panchayat bodies afresh in 2008.

There has been a continuous change in the situation in which grassroots leaders have to operate and function. As a result, the role of the panchayat leader has also undergone a sea change. Today, the leaders have to play a much more active role insofar as the development of rural life is concerned, particularly after the introduction of the 73rd Amendment Act. The Act not only assigns 29 functions to the panchayat but also provides for the holding of periodic elections of panchayat bodies. The State Government is directed to hold the election periodically as one of its mandatory tasks.

Thus, the role of panchayat leadership is now much more important than it was under the Community Development Programme. The rural leaders now have to play a dynamic role in involving the rural masses in the process of decision-making by encouraging them to participate in the Gram Sabha meeting and also by giving due weightage to their opinion and concern. This is important to motivate the rural people to come forward and become a part of the democratic political process. The panchayat leaders are also supposed to help and indeed train the rural masses to put forth the developmental issues before the village assembly and to get them done under their watchful eyes. Besides imparting political training to the rural people, panchayat leaders have to do a lot of developmental functions like rural housing, electrification, sanitation, construction of roads and implementation of various welfare schemes. Thus, the success of the Panchayati Raj and the socio-economic development of the rural community depends, to a large extent, on the quality of leadership available at the grassroots level. Against this backdrop, it becomes very important to study the socio-economic determinants which have a significant bearing on the quality of leadership that has been emerging at the grassroots level.

Panchayat in Assam has passed through various stages of development to attain a certain level of constitutional maturity. Several legislations were enacted from time to time to imbibe the panchayat with more vital functions of rural development. The 73rd Amendment Act, of 1992, has ensured popular participation in panchayat bodies by giving space to the weaker sections and women in it. As a result, people belonging to all the strata of society are participating and holding the seats of power in PRIs. Reservation of seats has made women's entry into local politics easier. In a rural milieu marked by stark inequalities between men and women, it is a significant development.