Imperative realignment

Recently, I have started to visit remote villages located roughly thirty to forty kilometres away from the main roads, with the aim of listening to the voices of the voiceless and engaging with them on critical issues of development. Tamil Nadu is relatively more socially and economically developed compared to northern states. A section of the population within Tamil Nadu believes that the state government serves as a role model for other states in terms of governance and achieving socio-economic development.

However, some people hold this belief because they travel in big cars only on highways and never venture into interior villages. They neither have the time nor the inclination to visit these areas. Even if they possess social concern, their cars cannot navigate the narrow lanes and pathways in rural areas, where the roads are riddled with undulations and potholes. A few are aware that the villages are in poor condition, which is why people from rural areas migrate to urban centres in search of gainful employment. Push and pull factors drive this migration. To mitigate it, the Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Scheme were introduced in India.

When I heard from many village panchayat presidents at public fora, many of them, especially those representing the poor and marginalized, shared a volley of problems faced by their people. These issues often remain unaddressed due to a lack of power and financial resources in the panchayats. I always ask them about the conditions of the people, particularly those in the last rung of the society. They often paint a grim picture of rural realities, despite the significant amounts of money spent through various schemes and programs.

This prompted me to personally visit the interior villages of different districts—both industrial and non-industrial—to capture the voices of the people. My tour was organized and supported by a social movement called “Nallore Vattam” (Good Circle).

During a meeting with women from the marginalized sections of a remote village in the Thirunelveli district, a sharp argument was raised by a group of women. Their argument is particularly relevant to the ongoing discourse on development in the country. They asked, “On whose agenda are the rustic folk being made to work? For the development of the poor, who sets the agenda? Everyone knows it is not set by the poor. They have their own vision and agenda for development. However, in reality, they are made to work on the government’s agenda, not their own.”

The women pointed out that while the government spends large amounts of money in the name of the poor, only a small fraction actually reaches them. They asked, “Where has the money gone? Nobody knows. People have ideas, skills, and knowledge. Government officials must first respect the views of the people. To date, people survive not because of government support but on their own. Those in government, who claim to serve the people, survive and prosper because of the people. Their livelihood depends on the people, but not the other way around.

“People continue to be treated as beneficiaries or petitioners, not as honourable citizens living in a free country. Even after 77 years of independence, people struggle to access clean water, a clean environment, quality education, and affordable healthcare. Roads in remote villages, particularly those connecting Dalit hamlets, remain in poor condition. Male members of our families work sporadically as manual labourers, often spending their earnings on liquor. The family burden falls on the shoulders of women. The health conditions of the men are poor, which is why they are unable to work consistently.”

Self-help group women are encouraged to borrow loans from their groups. They take loans and use them for their families. However, they often do not spend the money on their needs rationally. The market influences the sensory desires of young men and women, leading them to spend borrowed money on such pleasures. As a result, women are overburdened and continuously under stress.

During elections, people are politically engaged. Culturally and religiously, they are involved through active institutions. However, there is no engagement focused on development, and no one takes responsibility for this. When politicians arrive, they bring their ideas for the development of the people. Similarly, the bureaucracy talks about its schemes for development. When NGOs intervene, they also act based on their funding and objectives. Yet, there is no one to guide the people or work alongside them. Everyone seems to want to rule the people rather than lead them. Yet, they all speak of democracy. Whose democracy are they talking about? This is the question these women raised during my interaction with them.

After hearing their concerns, I asked about the role of the Panchayati Raj system, introduced in India 30 years ago as a decentralized governance model designed to address the needs of the people as a responsible, responsive, and representative institution. This reform aimed to shift the governance framework from "we govern, you participate" to "you govern, and you participate." Under this framework, local bodies were constitutionally empowered to prepare development plans based on the vision and needs of the people, especially marginalized and oppressed communities. Government departments were meant to align their efforts with these village panchayat plans. So, why hasn’t this been implemented effectively in the villages?

In response, the women lamented, "Not even a single village in our area has developed such a plan. The elected representatives in local bodies have no idea about the powers of the panchayats. They are no better than ordinary people—they are politically ignorant. They simply spend the leftover funds given by government departments and rule the poor as directed by state government officials. We have lost hope in the local bodies. No way they are better than local bureaucracy”

After hearing this, I asked what they wanted at this point. Without hesitation, they replied, "We need someone to continuously help and guide us to get things done with the government and make the bureaucracy work with us on our agenda. We know money is not the issue—we see the prosperity of politicians and bureaucrats. Our money, our share, needs to reach us, and for that, we need someone to help and guide us. The elected representatives need money because they spent money to gain power. This is the system they are trapped in. We need people who will work with us, help us, and guide us so we can work for our development."

In response to these concerns, the social development movement Nallore Vattam is planning to train village volunteers from within the same villages. These dedicated resource persons, identified by the women, will not be elected representatives but community-oriented individuals. They will receive training in local governance, local development, and local democracy to help empower villagers and ensure their needs are addressed effectively.

The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute. Views expressed are personal