One of the remarks very often received by me is why bother reading the newspaper, why bother discussing about issues in our country and why waste our time when we have other things to do which can make money. The same people will complain about how unfair this country is, how corruption is a cancer and how the middle class has to carry the burden of high prices all the while using their blackberry or iphone or driving their cars running on subsidised diesel or petrol.
Whatever structures for accountability and participatory governance established by the government, it will work only when people use them. This is true whether it is voting, RTI, panchayats or NGOs. In the book 'Illicit Happiness of Other People', there is struck me - an idea that overrates human character is bound to fail. Democracy is based on the belief that people will choose the best person to represent them and not consider communal or short term gains. It is based on the belief that those who seek to represent people will be honest. Communalism believed in the collective spirit of mankind, but it did not consider much about how some individuals can exploit this for their own benefit and how it overrates the fact that we are social animals. We are social as long as it fits into our personal freedoms.
Socialism in India distrusted industrialists and put its faith in the bureaucracy and labourers who were assumed to be patriotic enough to give it their best. All we have from that era is a Hindu rate of growth and the balance of payment crisis which lead to reforms in 1991. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as far as national policy is concerned because all these policies overrates human character. It is impossible to frame policies that suit everyone. Bigger the population of the country, more will be the population that stand against a policy. I am not advocating balkanisation or separatism, but perhaps more decentralisation and self-government.
But with greater localisation or decentralisation, there is bound to be conflict of interest and opposition to larger interests of the nation. For example, there is a conflict between local and regional interest- the attempts to construct an fly-over at Edappally junction, one of the busiest in Kerala, is facing stiff opposition from local traders whereas the cost of fuel wasted while waiting for green light at the signal is certain to be in hundreds of crores each year. I agree with the policy of reducing our demand on fossil fuels and individual transport, but this is an urgent matter- the city's jugular vein is being constricted and needs circulation urgently. In the long term interest, it is better to build the fly-over. Therefore, a regional will is required to overcome vested local interests in the greater common good.
Another example is the issue of waste disposal in Trivandrum. The Municipal Corporation of Trivandrum set up a garbage treatment plant OUTSIDE its limits at Vilappilsala while the residents and office bearers of the Panchayat in the area resisted and blocked the efforts because it was affecting their health and the place was becoming inhospitable. This is the result of dereliction of duty by the Municipal Corporation since the purpose of devolution and decentralisation is to find local solutions to local problems, not export them or in this case dump them outside.
Right now garbage is rotting on the streets at many places and the imminent monsoon rains will make matters worse. The solution is more decentralisation, setting up multiple small waste handling units in the neighbourhoods that generate them. If they resist, then they better stop generating waste. This is where more localisation holds the solution and community ownership is required.
What is the right mix then?
1) Greater devolution of powers to the local bodies
2) This must be used by the people and not just left to civil society activists and politicians to seek solutions to local problems, ensuring their accountability and scrutinising their work. This is the local answer
3) The regional or national solution is in meeting needs of the local community while meeting regional/national interest too.
Whatever structures for accountability and participatory governance established by the government, it will work only when people use them. This is true whether it is voting, RTI, panchayats or NGOs. In the book 'Illicit Happiness of Other People', there is struck me - an idea that overrates human character is bound to fail. Democracy is based on the belief that people will choose the best person to represent them and not consider communal or short term gains. It is based on the belief that those who seek to represent people will be honest. Communalism believed in the collective spirit of mankind, but it did not consider much about how some individuals can exploit this for their own benefit and how it overrates the fact that we are social animals. We are social as long as it fits into our personal freedoms.
Socialism in India distrusted industrialists and put its faith in the bureaucracy and labourers who were assumed to be patriotic enough to give it their best. All we have from that era is a Hindu rate of growth and the balance of payment crisis which lead to reforms in 1991. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as far as national policy is concerned because all these policies overrates human character. It is impossible to frame policies that suit everyone. Bigger the population of the country, more will be the population that stand against a policy. I am not advocating balkanisation or separatism, but perhaps more decentralisation and self-government.
But with greater localisation or decentralisation, there is bound to be conflict of interest and opposition to larger interests of the nation. For example, there is a conflict between local and regional interest- the attempts to construct an fly-over at Edappally junction, one of the busiest in Kerala, is facing stiff opposition from local traders whereas the cost of fuel wasted while waiting for green light at the signal is certain to be in hundreds of crores each year. I agree with the policy of reducing our demand on fossil fuels and individual transport, but this is an urgent matter- the city's jugular vein is being constricted and needs circulation urgently. In the long term interest, it is better to build the fly-over. Therefore, a regional will is required to overcome vested local interests in the greater common good.
Another example is the issue of waste disposal in Trivandrum. The Municipal Corporation of Trivandrum set up a garbage treatment plant OUTSIDE its limits at Vilappilsala while the residents and office bearers of the Panchayat in the area resisted and blocked the efforts because it was affecting their health and the place was becoming inhospitable. This is the result of dereliction of duty by the Municipal Corporation since the purpose of devolution and decentralisation is to find local solutions to local problems, not export them or in this case dump them outside.
Right now garbage is rotting on the streets at many places and the imminent monsoon rains will make matters worse. The solution is more decentralisation, setting up multiple small waste handling units in the neighbourhoods that generate them. If they resist, then they better stop generating waste. This is where more localisation holds the solution and community ownership is required.
What is the right mix then?
1) Greater devolution of powers to the local bodies
2) This must be used by the people and not just left to civil society activists and politicians to seek solutions to local problems, ensuring their accountability and scrutinising their work. This is the local answer
3) The regional or national solution is in meeting needs of the local community while meeting regional/national interest too.
1 comment:
To quote Montesquieu, "the tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy".
Unless people are ready to own up responsibility and stop being passive recipients of whatever they get, things arent going to get better. We all need a vigorous wake up call!
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