Rural Leadership
Leadership has an important place in the rural power structure. In the present complex society, our entire social system is directly or indirectly based on leadership. The reason for this is that there are very few such persons in the society who have the ability to make decisions on their own or to anticipate the circumstances. Most of the people in each community follow only a small number of people who have leadership potential. According to Chitambar, “In the power structure of every society, some individuals are so powerful and intelligent that they influence their actions by encouraging, motivating and guiding others.
We call this characteristic as leadership, while such persons can be called leaders, power holders, powerful human beings, power centers or powerful elites. This means that individuals who have greater ability to understand and solve the problems of a particular group or community, they naturally tend to lead a small or large sector. From this point of view, leadership is called a social phenomenon. It is important to note that leadership is also a relative concept. It means that the person who has leadership qualities also has the qualities to follow. But when the leadership instinct of a person is more developed than to be followed and it is accepted by a large number of people, then that person attains the position of leader in the group. democracy
While the interest of sociologists, political scientists and psychologists is increasing in the society towards the study of leadership, but the number of scholars studying in the context of rural leadership is relatively less. With the present discussion, our aim is to clarify the concept of rural leadership, as well as to see that along with clarifying the concept of traditional, rural leadership, it is also to see that in comparison to the traditional, rural leadership, which new related to leadership today. Trends are taking birth and how have they affected rural life.
concept of leadership
( Concept of Leadership )
That different scholars have clarified the concept of leadership in many ways. Literally (leader) is understood to mean any person who is a guide, head, skill in any subject, giving wisdom or behavior. From the democratic point of view, leadership is understood to mean a situation in which some individuals are voluntarily obeying the orders of another person. If on the basis of power in any person, to get other persons to behave as desired.
If there is capability, it is also included under the concept of leadership. In fact, all these meanings are very narrow. Practically, leadership is that manner of behavior in which one person is more influenced by his behavior than by the behavior of others. does. Whether this work is done by pressure or by training personality related qualities.
Piger has defined leadership and said that “Leadership is a concept destroying the relationship between personality and environment. It discusses the situation in which a person has taken such a place within a particular environment.” It is taken that his desire, feeling and intuition disciplines and controls other people to achieve a common goal.” On the basis of this definition, the equation can be said as that of the specific environment + situation of the individual. x instruction lead. It means that a person can be in a particular environment, be it primary, religious, political, educational or entertainment and any other field, when he attains a particular place, he can influence the behavior of other people by his qualities or ability. seems to do. This position is called leadership position.
According to Lapier and Farnsworth, “Leadership is that behavior which affects the behavior of other people more than the behavior of other people affects the leader.” By this definition, Lapier defined leadership as leader and leader. on the basis of the relations found between his followers. A leader is not only influenced by the behavior of the followers but also by their behavior himself. But when the influence of the leader becomes comparatively more, then only his behavior is accepted as leadership.
In the words of Mam Seeman and Morris, “Leadership refers to the actions taken by one person that influence other persons in a particular direction.” It is clear that influencing the behavior of other persons Taking action is not leadership, but leadership means turning their behavior towards a certain or desired direction. Almost on this basis, Teed has written, “Leadership is an action by which people can be influenced to cooperate to achieve desired goals.” For example, a village is a social unit consisting of one or many such persons. Those who can set their goals in front of other people and can inspire all the people to work together to achieve them. According to Teed, “This pattern of influence can be called leadership.”
In order to explain the nature of leadership, it is necessary to clarify the difference between leadership and dominance. In the words of Kimball Young, “Dominance can be seen as an instrument of power that is used by one person to control and change the attitudes and actions of another”. The element of power or power is necessarily attached to it.
The changes brought about by dominance in the behavior of individuals are usually through coercion. Conversely, the change that leadership produces in the behavior of individuals is voluntary. For example, if an officer makes desired changes in the behavior of other employees in his office, it is called dominance, not leadership. In addition, for the success of leadership, there must be a leader and his followers and mutual sacrifice, while dominance can be maintained without any closeness and sacrifice.
Anderson states that behavior related to leadership is generally progressive whereas dominance has more conservative elements. Even after this , it has to be acknowledged that leadership and dominance are not entirely separate from each other . can be done. The reason for this is that even some people in the leadership
People are the followers of the leader and even in dominance some people have to work under some person. It is on this ground that Kimball Young has written what we generally call leadership, it should rightly be discussed in the form of dominance.
From the above definitions the four main characteristics of leadership are clear. They are leaders, followers
Situation and Task (Leader, Followers, Situation and Task). Leader – Every group has a leader who interacts with the people of the group at different times and establishes relationships with them. He does a variety of tasks for the group. This does not mean that the kind of work the leader does, others in the group cannot do. The work of leadership can be divided among the members of the group, but in particular the burden of carrying them out lies with the leader.
There are many methods to identify the leader of any group, of which Sociometry is also one. The leader is more efficient, capable, experienced and intelligent, so he is more effective than other people in the group. Followers – In addition to the leader in the group, there are those people who follow the leader, we call them a follower.
There can be no leader without following (We cannot think of Leader without Followers). Therefore, unless there are some people who obey or follow the wisdom of one person, leadership will not arise. In order to achieve the common objective, it is necessary that there should be active interaction between the leader and the followers. For achieving the objective and movement it is also necessary that the followers accept the leadership of the leader and the leader should act according to the expectations of the followers. Followers are more effective than their leader’s behavior. This does not mean that the followers do not have any effect on the behavior of the leader, but the effect can be seen in relative terms.
Leadership is bipartisan. (Leadership is a two-way affair), but the degree of mutual influence varies. Under what circumstances do leaders and followers interact only under a given situation. We incorporate values and attitudes into the situation. The leader and his followers have to plan for achieving their goal keeping in mind the social values and attitudes. We can count some aspects in the situation, such as – (1) the mutual relations of the people of the group, (2) the characteristics of being a unit of the group, (3) the characteristics of the culture of the members of the group, (4) the physical conditions In which the group has to be active, (5) the values, attitudes and beliefs of the members. Circumstances have an important influence in determining the leadership of the group. Tasks refers to those actions which are given collectively by the group to achieve the objectives. A variety of abilities are expected from the leader to accomplish the task. The nature of work provides motivation to the leader to act. Thus we see that there are four important aspects of leadership, leader, follower, situation and action. Leadership cannot be said to be the prerogative of one or the few. As Luther puts it, “Any person who is better than ordinary people in providing socio-psychological motivation to others and makes collective response effective can be called a leader”. To understand this, we will consider some of its important aspects.
(1) There is a difference in leadership in terms of formal and informal influences. But in the situation of leadership, both the parties are involved. The person who is the leader in a formal situation may also be in informal and vice versa when a formal leader is ineffective in the presence of informal and effective leader.
(2) It is possible to measure the determination of leadership in terms of quantity only. A person can manifest different amounts of leadership in different fields at different times and in different situations. Leadership can be divided and distributed in different quantities among the people of the group or society. It is not necessary that the same person should lead in all situations and times. Leaders can change under different times and circumstances.
(3) Persons who lead have effective ability and ability to complete the task. Leaders of different qualities are required to complete different tasks and according to different times and circumstances. That’s why one person cannot lead successful in all situations.
(4) The characteristics of leadership are personal. They are related to the circumstances in which the work is being done. This is the reason why a person is a leader in one situation and not in another.
- Leadership is not only related to prestige position and ability but it is also related to completing the work effectively. If the leader’s activity is not visible, then we will say that the leadership is very weak.
(6) Leadership involves the social interaction that takes place between the members of the group, between the leader and the followers, and between the individual and the group. Pigger believes that leadership is a process of mutual stimulation.
7) The leader has a central place in the group. Sometimes the leader starts many activities for the group without the suggestion of his followers. ,
(8) The effect of leadership is that collective action is taken by the whole group.
(9) Leadership is cumulative in nature. When a person plays his role in any situation, he gets pressure in many ways.
(10) Leadership can be formal or informal. The influence of formal leadership in the power structure of society is less than that of informal ones. (11) The scope of leadership is wide. From directing the actions of a small group to the activities of the entire nation, the field of leadership is pervasive.
qualities of a leader
( Attributes of a Leader )
For a person to be a successful leader, he should have many physical and mental characteristics. What are these characteristics? Psychologists differ on this Vata. Teed has identified 10 general qualities as essential for a leader. Allport considers 21 qualities in a good leader and Shribanard 31 desirable. Winde mentions 79 qualities of a leader as described by 20 psychologists.
Mr. M. N. Basu considers the following 10 qualities as essential in a leader
(1) The personality of the leader should be strong.
(2) The leader should be sympathetic towards others.
(3) The leader must be a good orator because he brings the crowd under his al influence through his speech.
(4) The expression of the leader should be clear. People are easily attracted by his verbal expression
(5) The leader should have good knowledge of group psychology.
(6) The leader should be honest. ,
7) The leader should have morality and kindness.
(8) The leader should have the ability to adapt himself to the circumstances.
(9) The leader should be aware of all kinds of information.
(10) The leader should be of many interests.
Apart from the above mentioned characteristics also some other qualities are expected in the leader which are as follows
Physical Qualities – The leader should be physically fit. Stagdil and Govin believe that length is a special quality of the element. Beligreth, Govin and Patridge Pradti found in their study that the leaders were of heavy body. A person with a physically healthy, beautiful and attractive personality is more preferred as a leader.
Intelligent – It is expected from a leader that he is more intelligent than ordinary people, because sometimes in difficult situations he has to take decisions, he guides and controls the people.
Self-belief – The leader should have strong self-belief. At times he grapples with conflict situations. On the basis of his courage and self-confidence, he attracts people with his speech. Scholars like Cox, Drake and Gibb etc. found in their studies that leaders were full of unusual self-belief.
Sociability – The leader should be tactful and maintain a relationship with everyone. Goodenough, Kantel and Stice, Moore and New Comb etc. All scholars consider sociality in the individual to be essential for successful leadership.
Willpower – The leader should have determination power. Many scholars have found in their studies that the determination power of the leader was much more than that of the common people. On the basis of will power, a person is capable of taking decisions, taking responsibility and maintaining self-restraint.
Hardworking – To be a leader it is necessary that he should be hardworking. It is because of hard work and dedication that they are successful in achieving the objectives of the group. Seeing the leader working hard, others also follow him. The prestige of such a person in the village is high, who works hard.
Imagination Power – It is necessary to have imagination power in the leader. On that basis he makes plans, implements them and finds solutions for future difficulties by anticipating them.
Insight – Insight is essential in a leader. On the basis of this quality, he finds out the mental state of his followers and changes his behavior accordingly. He assesses the future circumstances in advance and takes action accordingly.
Flexibility – A good leader is considered to be the one who adapts himself according to the time and circumstances. It is necessary for successful leadership to bring changes in conduct according to new circumstances, otherwise it is considered conservative and anti-change.
Excitability – A leader should be efficient, cheerful, ready to work, candid, original, cheerful, enthusiastic and energetic.
The presence of all the above mentioned common qualities is essential for a successful leader. This does not mean that a leader should not have any other qualities other than these or that one who has all these qualities will necessarily become a leader. If time and circumstances match a person having suitable characteristics, then there is every possibility of him becoming a leader.
types of leadership
( Types of Leadership )
On the basis of the origin of leadership, the behavior of the leader, the relationship found between the leader and the followers, many types of leaders have been seen. We will mention here some types of leaders:
, F . C . Bartlett’s Classification Bartlett has given three types of leaders.
Institutional Leader – This is someone
The administrator or manager of the organization. The power of such a leader is based on tradition, customs, temple, church, mosque, school or economic system.
Dominant leader – Such a leader is aggressive, pressurized and takes tough action.
Heartfelt leader – Such a leader maintains his control through words and signs, he also uses flattery, suggestion and verbal advice.
, The Classification of Leaders by Kimball Young. Young has mentioned seven types of leaders.
Pradolak – The fanatic is of radical reformist ideas. Those basic principles. Wants to spread and gets excited soon after opposing them. He lacks compromise, is violent and intolerant by nature. He wants to achieve his goal through violence.
Theorist – Such a leader is impractical. He does not believe in the movement. He is so much more. He does not care whether his principles can be put into practice or not. He presents his theories in an organized and systematic way.
Political leader – Such a leader is a product of modern democracy. His area of work is usually at the city or state level. He belongs to a political party. It is the product of struggle and creates an environment of struggle to grab power. Therefore, he should be a good fighter and he should have the ability to form an organization so that he can get success in the election.
Democratic leaders – Such leaders are also the product of democracy but they are active outside the political party as well. Such leaders are tolerant, adaptable and compromising. He firmly believes in law and order.
Bureaucratic leaders – Such leaders are the product of government machinery. These leaders are practical, theoretically intelligent and disciplined towards their duty and work. They take any decision on the basis of law. They insist on maintaining a certain working method.
Politicalist – Such leaders work according to the rules fixed by the government. They are the representatives of any government or institution. They use dual policy to achieve their goals. They use their words with great measure. It is said that when a diplomat says ‘yes’ he means ‘maybe’ when he says ‘maybe’ he means ‘no’ and when he says no it means he is not a diplomat.
Reformers – In a democratic society, such leaders are usually found many who try to remove many defects found in the prevailing social and political system and bring a new system. They are not radical revolutionaries, but they are definitely passionate about change and reform. They do not want to compromise on their principles in any way.
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Orenstein’s classification Orenstein divided the village leader into two major parts. Again two subs of informal. Parts are given. We can put it this way leadership matoformal informal acceptance approve active passive
Formal leaders: In this category, all those leaders of the village come who are appointed according to the formal process and rules. The village sarpanch, patwari, village servant, teacher etc. come under the category of formal leaders.
Informal leaders – There are many leaders in the village who are not appointed by any rule or government process. Such leaders have more influence in the villages.
They also affect formal leaders. Informal leaders are also divided into two sub-parts: Fuel (A) Approved, (B) Rejected.
(A) Accepted leaders – These are the leaders whom the people of the village accept as their leader. They have dominance and dominance in the village. Accepted leaders can also be divided into two sub-parts – one passive and the other passive leaders are consulted from time to time. People follow his conduct. His qualities are a matter of inspiration for others. But they do not force anyone to obey their words. They are people of high status, old age and high caste and good reputation in the society. We can put village priest, temple priest, astrologer, saints and sadhus in this category. Mohini active leaders include those people who are powerful and use their power on people. They can encourage people to do some work or prevent them to do some work. Behind this act of theirs is the force of the majority. Sometimes their decisions may even go against the wishes of most people. They live with dignity, take forced labor from people and also use deceit, deceit, force and temptation when the opportunity arises.
(B) Rejected leader – There are some people in the village who complete the work in any way. They do not have any special qualities and they lead on the basis of their power. These people do their work by using physical force and on the strength of sticks. Their fear and terror overshadows the people. The Lathaits of the village come under the category of leaders of this type.
Rural Leader’s Tasks
( Functions of Rural Leader )
The post of sister-in-law rural leader is full of responsibilities. He needs his own culture and village.
Seeing this, many types of work have to be done. The leader is the center of his followers. He is the guide of the people and the one who creates awareness among them. In the changed circumstances, the tasks and responsibilities of the village leader have increased even more. Generally a village leader has to perform the following roles in the village
Managerial Functions – The village leader works as a manager in the mother. He divides the work among the people. He asks the government to make arrangements for assistance to mobilize the needs of the villagers at the time of famine, natural calamities etc. and places the demand of the village before the government.
Planning – The village leader makes plans for village development and public interest. If he is an officer in the Gram Panchayat, Co-operative Society and other institutions, then he makes many plans for the benefit of the village and gets help from the government for their implementation. He also suggests various ways to carry out his plan. He also sees whether the plan, its aims and means are practical or not. There are two types of plans, immediate and long-term. The plans for rural development and welfare are long-term, while short-term and short-term plans are made for small tasks that need to be completed in a short period of time.
Determination of Policy – The village leader decides the ideals, objectives and policy of the group. In policy making, he can use his wisdom or can get the guidance of a leader higher than himself. He also takes care of the reaction of his followers to the policy and revises the policy if the followers reject it.
Acting as an expert – For the rural people their leader plays the role of an expert. Being an expert, he removes the difficulties in planning and implementing them. The leader provides ready information and ready solution to the villagers. He is an expert in government work and judicial matters for the villagers.
Representation of the group – The leader also does the work of representing his group. For example, the Sarpanch of the village speaks in the Panchayat Samiti, before the district level officers and others as a representation of the entire village and acquaints them with the exact situation of the village. At the time of mutual disputes between two villages or when there is a dispute between the legal castes and groups in the village itself, the leaders of the villages, castes and groups represent their groups and present their demands and sides in front of other leaders and officials. The leader acts as the gatekeeper for the group. In this form, he transmits the internal information of the group to the outside and the outside information to the group.
Control of internal relations – Village leaders look after the internal affairs of their respective community, party, faction and caste. Controls the interpersonal relations of the members and maintains mutual coordination when tensions arise among them. For the fulfillment of the objectives of Sun Ho, they get the cooperation of all the members.
Arrangement of Reward and Punishment – The leader arranges rewards for his members who work for the benefit of the group. He admires them and tries to bring them financial benefits. Criticizes the members who act contrary to the collective interest and excludes them from the group. The head of the caste can excommunicate the members of the caste who violate the rules of the caste, ask them to give caste food or fine them.
Acting as arbitrator and mediator – The leader also acts as arbitrator and mediator at the time of conflict between the members of the group and gives his decision after hearing both the parties. He maintains the organization of the group by stopping the process of factionalization in the group.
Becoming a model – The village leader is an ideal person for the villagers. Everyone in the village considers him superior to himself and tries to emulate his conduct. He is a source of inspiration for the villagers.
Becoming a symbol of the group – The leader is considered a symbol of his group. The behavior and behavior of the group can be traced by observing the behavior and behavior of the leader. Others make inferences about the leader and his followers by looking at the leader.
Acting as a guide for the group – The village leader is the guide of the villagers. He accompanies them in times of crisis and acts as a teacher and ally in their creative work. When people are not able to decide what they should do to deal with a particular situation, they take refuge in the leader and take him as a lamp of the way and act according to his advice and accept his direction.
Acting as Guardian – The village leader is supposed to be the guardian of the entire community. When an officer or police is found outside the village, he takes the side of the villagers. He gives them protection. Hitchcock mentions this role of the leader in his study of the village of Khalapur, when once a dacoity took place at a nearby railway station and the police arrived to nab the people of Khalapur suspected of committing the robbery, the Rajput leader clarified denied that any person from the village
He was not involved in the robbery. The people of the village also considered this leader to be kind and fatherly. This leader sacrificed many of his personal interests for the sake of public interest. or
Acting as a reformer – The village leader starts programs of maximum development and improvement in his village. Hitchcock, in his study of the village of Khalapur, found that the Rajput leader was trying to break the tendency of the people to drink and consume opium and steal. He implemented the programs of social reform run by Arya Samaj and introduced the people to the movement of Congress. ,
Apart from the appropriate tasks, the rural leader also has to do many new types of work which are the result of community development plan and Panchayati Raj and which are related to improvement and development in the villages. For example, a rural leader has to play a decisive role in the construction of roads, wells, ponds and canals in the village. He acquaints the villagers with new fertilizers, seeds, agricultural implements and methods of agriculture and for these works he helps the village servants and development officers. Collects donations for community works and accepts new schemes of labor donation and community development and provides their information to the villagers. He encourages the villagers to adopt these schemes. The village leader also works to get government loans and donations to the people. She
Acts as a link between the development officers and the villagers and makes both aware of each other’s wishes. He represents the village in the government and acquaints the villagers with the government information. He receives the help received for the village from the Panchayat Samiti, Zilla Parishad and the State Government. Also opposes such schemes and works which are not in the interest of the village.
Traditional Bases of Rural Leadership
In order to study the traditional nature of rural leadership and the present form of leadership in India on a comparative basis, it is necessary to first discuss those traditional forms of rural leadership which have remained an integral part of rural leadership for a long period. The present nature of leadership can be understood only in comparison with these characteristics.
Caste Status – The impact of caste stratification has been most evident in the rural structure of India. Traditionally, only influential people from the upper castes were entitled to lead in the village. In a low caste no matter how powerful, resourceful or talented a person was, it was very difficult to accept him as a leader or headman in the village.
Size and Prestige of the Family The size and prestige of the family has been an important factor in the rural structure, according to which a person has been getting a special status in the rural leadership. As the size of the family increases, its members not only get extra time for leadership but also increase the chances of getting the support of more people in each situation. On the other hand, if the person is a member of a noble family, then the other people of the village normally accept his supremacy. It is believed in the village that the members of the reputed family are more talented, virtuous and tactful and they can solve their problems easily.
Shrayu – From very early times, age has been a major pillar of rural leadership. Several studies confirm that the traditional rural leadership was in the hands of the upper age groups. An older person in the village is not only considered experienced and respected, but it is also considered necessary to know his views in any decision. There is a perception of the general public that the elders are the keeper of the traditions, so the leadership given by them is more useful and meaningful.
Economic Status – The economic status of a person has also been of special importance in the determination of rural leadership. Rural life is an impact-ridden life. Here, the person who helps in fulfilling the economic needs of the common people or giving them spiritual help from time to time, soon his authority is established over the common villagers. Perhaps this is the reason why the traditional rural leadership is generally dominated by big landowners and Limited to the Sahakars only. If a person challenges the leadership of the financially wealthy, he has to face very difficult primary problems.
Traditional Knowledge – Due to the large number of trained persons in the village, those persons are looked upon with great respect, which the villagers will soon acquire. Perhaps they are familiar with the traditions of this and are proficient in interpreting them efficiently. Even in the present era, a person with modernity and talent is not considered as important for rural life as a person who behaves in a traditional way. This is the reason that even the people living in the village after taking fresh education are not able to take up the rural leadership till they have completed their life.
Do not mold patterns according to traditions.
Contact with wider World – The life of most of the villagers is still simple, trained and isolated from the contact with the outside world. In such a situation, for the fulfillment of his social, economic and educational needs, the general villager is dependent on those persons who, with the help of his external contacts, help in meeting the various needs of the villagers. Generally, if a person has any relation with the village patwari, police officer or other officials of the city, then he takes the leadership of the villagers by helping them from time to time and giving them new information. Fights and disputes often go on in the villages over land, property and other assets. Due to the lack of proper knowledge of the judicial process of the villagers, the people who help them in the judicial process also easily get village leadership.
(Manifold Personality) – Personal characteristics of an individual also play an important role in determining rural leadership. A person who continues to participate in the village public life and who has a greater ability to mediate at the time of a dispute. He gets more opportunities to become a leader.Similarly, helping the villagers in times of calamity, arranging wells or ponds in the village, treating the villagers politely and softly and respecting the elders of the village. etc. are such qualities which have been considered essential for traditional rural leadership.
Features of Traditional Rural Leadership
( Characteristics of Traditional Rural Leadership )
From very early times, rural leadership has included many such characteristics which are not seen in large groups. It is true that the characteristics of rural leadership have changed a lot in the present era, but even then the changed nature of rural leadership has not deviated much from its traditional form. In this situation it is necessary that we first discuss the characteristics of traditional rural leadership so that we can understand the current processes of change in their context.
Predominance of blood-relations in rural leadership – Traditionally, under rural leadership, the stability of blood-groups and their primacy is clearly visible. It is true that every village must have a Mukhiya or Panch, but the behavior of individuals is most influenced by the leader who represents their lineage or kin. Practically in each rural and tribal area, all blood groups have their own separate head and his job is to settle and guide the disputes of all the members of his group. As a result, rural life is divided into many factions on the basis of leadership, but this divided leadership has proved to be more successful in controlling the members of the group.
Effect of heredity – Rural leadership has always been genetic in nature. It means that the person who once got the position of leader or headman in a group or the whole village is usually transferred to the subsequent generations of the same. Change in leadership takes place only when a leader is either unable to fulfill the aspirations of the villagers or such character defects develop in him that it is considered harmful to recognize him as a leader.
Leadership divided into castes – Traditionally in the villages of India, due to the great influence of the caste panchayat, each caste had its own separate leader, whose function is to control the behavior of all the members of its caste and punish or reward them as per the need. Was . From this point of view the leader of one caste had no importance for the other castes, although on many occasions the leaders of different castes together took decisions related to public life in the village. Generally, all the flies of different castes worked together under a consensus leader. The post of the leader of the entire village was also available to a person of a higher caste on the basis of the caste-system.
Predominance of Informal Control – Informal control is a major feature of traditional rural leadership. Humor, satire, criticism, contempt and social boycott etc. have been the means which were widely used by the village leader to establish control. On some special occasions the village leader also had the right to inflict corporal punishment on the villagers, but this work was generally related to the sovereignty of the zamindars. ,
The social character of leadership – for a long time rural life in Marat was basically a socio-cultural life, not a political one. From this point of view, under the rural leadership, only those tasks had special importance, which were related to customs, rituals, social behavior and adherence to the model rules of the society. From this point of view the prestige of the village leader was not assessed on the basis of his political power but on the basis of his socio-cultural proficiency.
Reciprocity in Leadership – Brown has made it clear that India’s rural leadership has
Consistency has been a key factor. This means that the measurement of the leader’s influence on the followers in the villages is not one-sided, but the thoughts and feelings of the common villagers also influence the behavior of the leader to a great extent. This means that the leader and the followers in the village are a coordinated unit. In other words, the leader and leadership cannot be imagined by excluding the followers.
The primacy of prestige in leadership – The element of prestige has been very important in the traditional rural leadership. Ethics, work efficiency of the person in determining this reputation. Honesty and the spirit of service have been of special importance. On the basis of this moral power, the leader compels the ordinary villagers to perform some special kind of conduct. The rural leader considers it most necessary to destroy his reputation and from this point of view he does not want to do any such work which is against the public expectations.
All roundness in leadership The nature of rural leadership is not as specialized as in cities, the leader does all the work for his village, which is needed by the villagers, for example, making various plans, determining the policies, making necessary arrangements for marriages and festivals, as an expert. To work in the office, to control the behavior of the members, to act as a panch and mediator and to represent the entire village on a particular occasion are the various functions of the leader. This is the reason that in rural life the leader is not an authority figure but a model of the group. The appropriate characteristics of rural leadership in India make it clear that the nature of leadership here has been largely informal. This informal leadership contributed constructively not only to the rural structure but also to the solution of rural problems and unity of different caste groups.
rural leaders
( Emerging Patterns of Rural Leadership )
After independence, there has been a significant change in the traditional nature of rural leadership in India. Rural development for the establishment of a secular, egalitarian and democratic society after independence. was accepted as a major requirement. To achieve this goal, not only new development schemes were started in the villages, but the participation of the villagers in social, political and official life was also considered essential. Due to the effect of this whole process, many such models started to develop under the rural leadership, which were completely lacking in the traditional rural leadership. It is only after understanding these emerging patterns of leadership that the nature of this important aspect related to the rural power structure can be better understood.
Emergence of Democratic Leadership: Today, a new democratic leadership has developed in the villages, in which the genetic status of the individual, land ownership and caste membership is not particularly important. The leadership of the village is now centered in those individuals who are elected by the ordinary villagers or who have the support of the majority. A special fact is that in this democratic leadership there is no clear distinction between the power or prestige of the leader and his followers.
This means that the village leader is influenced by the aspirations of the villagers themselves as well as influencing other people by their behaviour. The leadership pattern in the village is now more secular and secular. The power of the leader is not explained on the basis of any religious scriptures or traditional beliefs, but on the basis of people’s aspirations and political policies. This is one such change in the rural leadership which has changed the nature of the entire rural power structure.
Importance of Education – Till some time ago there was no importance of education even in leadership due to widespread illiteracy in rural areas. In today’s time, education is being considered essential for leadership. The reason for this is that due to the expansion in the field of economic, social and political relations in the village, good leadership is expected from the person who is educated.
Under the new rules, now such instructions are being given from the State’s request that only an educated person can sit on the formal posts in the villages. Is . Pro . Yogendra Singh is of the view that due to the participation of young and educated persons in rural leadership, education has started to be considered as an essential foundation of leadership. Hitchcock has also presented the conclusion on the basis of his study that the utility of the educated leader in the village has increased more than before. In another study, Prof. Singh and Parikh found out that only that person in the village can become an Opinion Leader who is financed to some extent. It is clear from all these studies that educated leaders have the trust of the people of the state and they are considered more useful for rural life.
Specialization in Leadership – One of the major changes that emerged in rural leadership is that the entire power of the village is not concentrated in the Graz leader itself, but is related to each specific aspect of life and specific tasks.
Individual individuals are beginning to be recognized as leaders. In fact, rural life has also become so diverse that different types of leaders are needed to meet different needs. For example, the head of the Gram Sabha, the Panch of the Nyaya Panchayat, the president of the cooperative society, the teacher of the school, the president of the youth board and the office-bearers of the welfare committees, etc. are such leaders in whom the leadership of the entire village is seen in a divided form. Doctor . Baijnath Singh has clarified on the basis of his study that the diversity of rural leadership is basically the result of implementation of community development plans.
Increasing Representation of the Youths – An important change in rural leadership is that now a person does not need to have more age to become a leader. Until recently, the villagers believed that only a strong and experienced person could become a leader, but now in most of the rural areas, the leadership is slowly falling in the hands of the youth. Probably the main reason for this is that after getting training and knowledge of the current innovations related to agriculture, when youth reaches the village, he easily becomes the advisor of the village and gradually takes over their leadership. The participation of youth is also highest in the rural development programs run by the government. Similar findings have been obtained from the study done by Inder Singh in Punjab and by Ranganath in Uttar Pradesh. Both these researchers have expressed the view that the importance of age in rural leadership of India is rapidly declining. In this regard, Lerner has pointed out that the leadership in rural life is still more concentrated among the older people. But Lerner’s study has become so old that the immediate characteristics cannot be accepted as the characteristics of the present rural society. The youth is always more active, liberal in thoughts, changeable in behavior and having a rational attitude towards life. These characteristics are considered more useful for leadership in a changing community.
Dominance of Middle Class – The traditional form of leadership in Indian villages was mainly related to that class which was either the owner of large lands or who had incomparable power of wealth. After the new democratic system, today such a leader has emerged in the villages, which establishes its conformity with the people of the middle class mainly related to ordinary farmers, livestock farmers and artisans, due to which they are able to take leadership and take any special responsibility. Get more opportunities to give instructions to do the work. ,
Mobility in Leadership – The current rural leadership is characterized by change as compared to the traditional leadership. Due to the end of the principle of heredity, there is a continuous change in the rural leadership according to the aspirations of the villagers. The person who is a leader at one time, after some time the same person can also become a victim of the anger of the villagers. As a result of this trend, now the village leader is not only an empowered person, but he has to be more aware of his duties towards the villagers than the rights. Doctor . Singh has written that the autocratic and monopolistic leadership, which has come from tradition in the villages of India, has now become variable from the point of view that the villagers have now got the right to change their leader at any time.
Rise of Collective Leadership – Leadership in villages is shifting from a limited level to a collective form. This means that traditionally where the leaders of each family, caste and group were separate and their position was genetically determined, today a leadership has emerged in which all castes and families together form a collective leadership. have been associated with. It is true that even the collective leadership is often divided among the upper castes, but the firmness of such division is now weakening to a great extent.
Leadership Combined with Politics – Due to the entry of various political parties in the rural power structure, leadership is no longer concerned with social reform as much as with various political activities. In the present situation most of the villages have now become pockets of different political parties. Traditionally, rural leadership had nothing to do with any political ideology. The party which was in favor of the influential people of the village would get the support of the whole village. On the contrary, today every political party conducts its activities keeping in mind the caste structure of the village, as a result of which the same village has become associated with many political parties and with different types of leadership. In the context of democratic decentralization, it was suggested in the report of Mehta Committee that political parties should take active part in all elections from village to district level. This suggestion is now clearly visible in rural life. I
As a result, the social character of rural leadership is now changing into a political one.
Decline of the Impact of Land Ownership, Family and Caste – Traditionally, rural leadership was concentrated only in those individuals who owned large lands, belonged to noble families or were high were members of the caste. In the present era such a model of rural leadership has developed in which these foundations have no importance.
In the democratic election system, the determination of leadership is now being done on the basis of numerical strength of a group. As a result of this, the representation of backward and scheduled castes is increasing continuously in the rural leadership of Graz. The participation of these castes in the rural leadership has also increased due to the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes at each level of the Panchayati Raj system.
Emphasis on Bureaucratic Leadership – Due to the implementation of new development plans in the villages, a leadership has emerged which by its nature can be called bureaucratic or bureaucratic. For example, the role of village servant in villages has become very important as a result of community development programmes. Dr Dabe has addressed it as ‘New Leader’. According to you, a village servant is not expected to do the same work as a government official, but still he has to take the decision of the village.
Its role is becoming increasingly important in the field of influencing and participating in development plans. Similarly, development block officers, planning officers and other workers related to planning have also encouraged new forms of leadership in villages.
It is clear from the above discussion that not only new patterns of leadership have evolved in rural life, but there have also been changes in the circumstances which determine a particular form of leadership. For example, due to the increase in the number of nuclear families in place of joint families, the importance of the family in determining leadership has decreased. Due to the new laws of land ownership, the status of traditional zamindars and big land owners has deteriorated.
With the spread of socialist values, the small and marginal farmers of the village have started demanding rights which were not even possible till some time ago. After getting education in the cities, the youth living in the villages are spreading such ideas under which the traditional form of leadership cannot remain stable. It is true that the traditional village headmen are still trying to maintain their influence in the changing circumstances, but they could not get much success under these changed conditions. Is .
Panchayati Raj and Democratic Decentralization
( Panchayati Raj and Democratic Decentralization )
Although the existence of Panchayat system is in India since ancient times, but as an institution based on definite and clear meaning, purpose, budget, authority, organization, rules, the existence of Panchayats as an institution in independent India was never there in the past. The method of resolving retrieval disputes on the basis of arbitration and arbitration has been going on in the country since ancient times. Panch decisions were accepted with respect in the society.
One of the inherent functions of the social belief of Panch Parmeshwar was that an ordinary person became extraordinary as soon as he became a Pach, detached from the dignity established by the society of Parameshwara. Due to which he did not allow simple human weaknesses to come in the way of him in the discharge of his duty as Panch. R In the modern era, the jurisdiction of Panchayats has become very wide. Its form has become more and more formal and legal. Panchayat is the most important institution of democratic governance and social system in India.
Along with the performance of judicial powers and functions, many other and more important functions are in the hands of the Praj Panchayats. The determination and implementation of policy and rules, from taxation and tax collection and general administration to social and economic development of the people in their jurisdiction, rests with the Praj Panchayats. During the MEER national movement, the leaders thought of reviving the basic institutions in the post-independent Indian government and social system in a modern style. But in the original draft of Indian society prepared after independence, there was no mention of Panchayats. The chairman of the drafting committee of the constitution, Dr. Ambedkar was They did not consider the Panchayati government system useful below the national and provincial level. He feared that the Panchayats at the lower level would become a puppet in the hands of the powerful, rather than becoming an effective instrument of social justice, administration and economic development, as an instrument of social animosity and exploitation and as a center of political arena. Mahatma Gandhi’s view was opposite to that of Ambedkar. Gandhi believed that until democracy was not taken to lakhs of villages of India through Panchayats, neither the common man would be able to participate in the governance and development works nor democracy in the real Indian society.
Can be installed.
In his era, Gandhi represented the Indian public and democracy, as a result of whose pressure a provision was made under the Directive Principles of the Constitution or that the State Governments should take necessary steps for the formation of Panchayats in their area so that they function as units of self-government. can do Accordingly, by January 1957, panchayat laws were passed in almost all the states and within a few months, panchayats were formed in more than 70 percent of the villages of India. Panchayati Raj is a system of governance based on the principle of democratic decentralization, in which the power and governance session at various levels is in the hands of the representatives of the people.
In the broad sense, the Panchayati Raj system represents a five-tier system of democratic government, whereas in the limited sense it is a three-tier system of self-government. The end points of the five-tier system are villages and centres, while the three-tier system has villages and districts. On the basis of the recommendations of the Balwant Rao Mehta Committee (1959), the three-tier Panchayat system was implemented with the aim of increasing the cooperation and participation of the people in the national reconstruction and development works almost all over the country.
Although panchayats are formed in all the states at the village level through direct elections, but there has been a slight variation in the formation of panchayats at the block (somewhere in the taluk) and at the district level in different states. The basic element of Panchayati Raj system is that the process of planning for development should be started from the village. Villagers should be made partners in development works so that rural development and community development organizations and programs can become public programs and not government undertakings and programs. In the Third Five Year Plan, the main objectives of Panchayati State were as follows – (a) Increase in agricultural production. (b) Development of village industry. ES (c) Progress in the formation of co-operative institutions. (d) optimum utilization of local manpower, resources and physical and economic resources. (e) Distribution of power and importance of voluntary organizations. (f) To increase mutual cooperation and encourage self-reliance in the rural community.
Organization of Panchayati Raj Institutions considered
Reamination of Panchayati Raj Institutions )
In the direction of democratic decentralization, under the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj, now Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat and Nyaya Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level and Zila Parishad at the district level have been established in the state. , At the village level – Under the Panchayati Raj system, the village panchayat is the most important unit. There is very little variation in their form in different states and the organization of village panchayats to a large extent, since 1961, village panchayats have been divided into three main units for the development of the village, which is related to the nature of the government system prevalent in Uttar Pradesh.
- Gram Sabha
- Gram Panchayat, and
- Nyaya Panchayat is called.
This department, though seemingly separate from above, is practically complementary to each other. The organization and working of these three departments can be explained as follows. ,
Gram Sabha – Initially, assembly was formed in every rural area with a population of one thousand, but in the second election of panchayats it was realized that the type of village-sabha is not more useful for the common man.
As a result, under the new system, if the population of a village is at least 250, then a village-sabha can be established there. If the population of a village is less than this, a Gram Sabha is established by joining more than one village. In such a situation, it is necessary to take care that these villages are not located at a much distance from each other and there is no river, drain or other similar natural obstacle between them. Membership of the Gram Sabha is voluntary. Every man and woman of 21 years of age can be a member of Gram Sabha but no such person can be a member of Gram Sabha who is leper, lunatic, bankrupt or punished. Two general meetings of the Gram Sabha are held in a year – one after the Kharif crop is harvested and the other after the Rabi crop. In the first meeting, the budget for the whole year is placed before the village assembly, while in the second meeting the income-expenditure accounts are scrutinized. These meetings are presided over by the Chairman or ‘Pradhan’ of the Gram Sabha.
According to the new amendments, the head of the village assembly is elected by secret ballot system and his term is 5 years. However, a motion of no-confidence can also be passed by votes against him. The real authority of the Panchayat is the consent of the Gram Sabha. This is the reason that the Gram Sabha is seen as the most important unit at the village level of the Panchayati Raj system.
Gram Panchayat Every Gram Sabha has an executive body which we call as Gram Panchayat. The head of the Gram Sabha is also the head of the Gram Panchayat. The members of the Gram Panchayat are determined on the basis of the number of members of each Gram Sabha. All these members are elected by the members of the Gram Sabha. Later all the members of the village panchayat elect the deputy head of the village panchayat. Prior to 1961, the election of the head of the village panchayat was done by direct voting system, but from 1977 onwards, the head and the vice-president were elected.
The election of rice is being conducted through secret ballot system. Like the head, the tenure of the Vice-President is also 5 years. In the last general election, 6, 62, 725 members of the Gram Panchayat were elected, out of which 3, 59, 600 members were elected unopposed. This situation explains to a great extent the fact that the influence of party politics in the elections of village panchayats is less than in other elections today. The number of members in each Gram Panchayat can be understood on the basis of the following table.
Population of the village The number of members of the village panchayat 1. ol 2 per population up to 500 . On a population of 500 to 1000. 11 on the population from 1000 to 2000 4 . On population from 2000 to 3000 – Reservation of posts is also done for persons belonging to Scheduled Castes as members of 15 Gram Panchayats for a population of more than 53000.
The proportion of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes in a village assembly area is determined in proportion to the number of members of the Gram Panchayat. Village Panchayats are the most important means of implementation of development programs at the village level. Not only a fund is created by the panchayats for development programs themselves, but special grants are also provided to these panchayats by the government.
Nyaya Panchayat Nyaya Panchayat is the third main institution related to this organization at the village level, whose function is to provide cheap justice to the villagers by settling the rural disputes on the local basis. Generally, a Nyaya Panchayat is formed consisting of 8 to 12 Gram Panchayats. How many gram sabhas are there in each Nyaya Panchayat?
First of all, Panch from each such Gram Sabha is nominated by the District Magistrate. Even after this, if the areas of a Nyaya Panchayat are included, then the number of members of the Nyaya Panchayat is kept 15 instead of 12, so that all the Panches can be divided into three benches of 5 – 5 Panches. This means that the number of members of the Nyaya Panchayat is determined in such a way that all the Panches can be divided into 5 members each. After the nomination of the Panches of the Nyaya Panchayat, within a month, by gathering at the time and place fixed by the District Magistrate, two persons from among themselves are elected by these Panches as Sarpanch and Assistant Sarpanch. The tenure of all these office bearers of Nyaya Panchayat is of 5 years like that of Gram Panchayat. At present 8, 791 Nyaya Panchayats are functioning in Uttar Pradesh. Nyaya Panchayats are important in the field of providing affordable justice to the villagers, but their jurisdiction is very limited. She can neither punish anyone with imprisonment, nor can she give a punishment of more than 500 rupees. No lawyer is allowed to represent the accused in order to save the Nyaya Panchayats from legal complications. The work readiness of these panchayats can be estimated from the fact that in 1978 a total of 24,017 cases were received before the Nyaya Panchayats of Uttar Pradesh, out of which 18,762 cases were given in the same year. Almost these cases were settled by mutual agreement.
, Panchayat Samiti – Under the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj in Uttar Pradesh, since 1961, Panchayat Samitis were formed at the block level. According to the arrangement given in the Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad Act, a Panchayat Samiti was formed in the area of 10 or more Nyaya Panchayats. At present, a total of 876 Panchayat Samitis are functioning in the state.
The Panchayat Samiti consists of a Pramukh and two Upa-pramukhs (in which a senior Up-pramukh and a junior Up-pramukh) along with many other members. The heads of all the Gram Sabhas located in the development block, the chairman of all town area committees, the chairman of the notified area committees, at least two and not more than five representatives of the government committees located in the development block and members of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha of that area. Member of Panchayat Samiti.
Apart from this, membership of this committee is also given to at least 5 women and 8 persons from scheduled castes. In the area of the development block, any person whose name is included in the voter list of four to be held for the Vidhan Sabha, can stand for the post of ‘pramukh’ of this Panchayat Samiti, the age of such person is 30 years or more. . The head and honor of the Panchayat Samiti is done by the voting system by the persons who are the members of the Panchayat Samiti. The tenure of the office bearers of the Panchayat Samiti would have been 5 years, with a majority of 2/3 against the Pramukh and Up-pramukh – there is a system to pass a no-confidence motion at any time.
Under the system, at the district level, there is an important institution of democratic decentralization coming under different panchayat samitis in each district of the state at the time of Zilla Parishad. At present, every district council of the state has been established and the entire area comprising of various panchayat samiti under a district is the working area of the district council. In Uttar Pradesh, no fixed number of members of this Zilla Parishad is fixed by the heads of all panchayat samitis and by the state government. All Panchayats under the district
head of committees
According to the prescribed number, some persons elected by the Panchayat Samitis from amongst themselves are its members. Apart from this, the presidents of all the municipalities located in the district, representatives from 3 to 5 elected according to the rules of cooperative societies, affiliated to any social organization in the district and the person nominated by the state government and as per the number fixed by the state government, you have been elected on the basis of adult franchise. Individuals are also members of the Zilla Parishad. The members of the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly of the district concerned and the members representing that district in the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council are also members of the Zilla Parishad.
It is necessary to have at least 5 women and between 5 to 10 scheduled caste representatives in each Zilla Parishad. The shortfall in the number of such representatives from the appropriate categories is made up by nominating additional persons. Each Zilla Parishad has a President and a Vice-Chairman who are elected by secret ballot system. Any person who is not less than 30 years of age and is not by law disqualified to be a candidate for any office, may be a candidate for the post of President of the Zilla Parishad.
The tenure of the Zilla Parishad and its deputy office bearers is also 5 years, although the state government has the right to extend this term for a maximum of one year. The Zilla Parishad , construction and repair of culverts , tree plantation , construction of roads in its area . Performs important tasks like arranging and inspecting hospitals and animal houses, construction of buildings etc. Primary and junior high school level educational institutions work in the district. It is the job of the Zilla Parishad to open primary and junior high school level educational institutions in the district and to appoint teachers in them. The Zilla Parishad also has the right to levy some taxes independently, but the main source of their income is the grants received from the state. Thus it is clear that at the district level, the Zilla Parishad is the main unit of democratic decentralization through which efforts are made to implement the development works.
Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad are equally important and complementary to each other under the Panchayati Raj system. Even after this, if the importance of these different units is known from a comparative point of view, then it is clear that among all these units, the importance of Gram Panchayat is the most.
Gram Panchayat not only tries to develop healthy leadership in the village, but through this such a democratic system becomes possible in which the flow of governance is from bottom to top. Gram Panchayats are the medium through which suggestions are given for the formulation of plans according to the local needs and the implementation of those plans is made effective.
India is a country of villages, so unless the participation of the villagers in various development programs is not obtained, the success of the schemes cannot be expected. Perhaps from this point of view Gandhiji had said, ‘If there is any meaning for the people of India, then the development of village panchayats as the primary institution will have to be given the most. In this context, Mr. Dhebar has made it clear that “Panchayats are not only the cornerstone of rural development but the whole of India’s development. The importance of village panchayats in India becomes clear from the fact that village panchayats are located at each and every place. It is the most effective medium to give education of democracy to the villagers and to train them to do their own development. They have all the qualities of rural republic. In fact, the important work that Gram Panchayats can do for rural life can be done by any other organization. It is not possible.We can easily explain the importance of Gram Panchayats in different areas in the context of the following works to be performed by them.
Importance of village panchayats in public welfare There is a lack of public welfare work in rural areas. The standard of health is very low everywhere. There are special problems in the villages like filth, infectious diseases, lack of clean drinking water, lack of healthy entertainment and inconvenience of transportation. Panchayats have proved to be helpful in rural reconstruction by doing the following important works in the public sector
Improvement in public health – All the problems which lead to the degradation of the level of health can be solved only with the help of village panchayat. Through this, necessary information of rural life is kept and necessary facilities are mobilized for the people in the field of health.
Treatment of diseases – This work can be done more easily by the Gram Panchayats. Most diseases are contagious. It is necessary to take immediate action as soon as they spread. Being a local organization, this work can be done by the Gram Panchayats very soon.
Management of Sanitation – Most of the villagers are generally not very aware of cleanliness due to lack of education. As a result, their health status remains low. Village-Panchayats not only appeal to the villagers for cleanliness but also
They also provide training in making drains and making covered compost pits. Due to the relationship of village-panchayats with all the villagers, this work is also done easily.
Helpful in the development of transport – One of the main reasons for the backwardness of rural life is the lack of means of transport. Village-Panchayats make up for this shortfall by repairing roads, arranging lighting and building new roads. The Government of Rajasthan has now given more priority to Gram Panchayats for the creation of permanent community assets in the villages under the ‘Grain for Work Program’. Now village-panchayats can get the work done themselves costing up to five thousand rupees. Earlier, village panchayats could implement schemes only with an expenditure of up to two thousand rupees.
Provision of clean water – Most of the diseases in the village arise as a result of drinking dirty water. Panchayats make arrangements for drinking water by putting red medicine in the dogs of the village, keeping the ponds clean and keeping the waterfalls safe. This saves the villagers from many diseases.
Management of entertainment – Entertainment is of utmost importance in rural life. Kareena Sah Only a little entertainment can infuse new enthusiasm and power among the villagers. Village-Panchayats, by arranging for fairs, exhibitions, lighting programs and sports, sponsoring movies with the help of the officer, provide entertainment facilities to the villagers with the help of welfare officers. Help in natural calamities – Famine persists in the life of the villagers. Due to their limited resources, the villagers always face the threat of epidemics. At the time of his own natural calamities, he is not able to help the villagers alone.
Village-Panchayats encourage them in various ways to keep them in times of natural calamities. And to keep their morale high, they know the importance of village panchayats in various economic life, they also do important work of improving the Dhar condition in the primary condition of the villagers by doing the following work
The development of industries, the development of Jadhas is the most important way to improve the rural life, although the economic condition of the villagers can be greatly improved by developing the best yogas of agriculture. Village-Panchayats help in setting up small industries on the basis of cooperation and also try to give information about new small and cottage industries to the villagers.
Improvement in the breed of animals – The importance of passions is fundamental in rural life, but Indian cattle are the worst in the world, even though their breed is the worst. Village Panchayats do important work of improving the breed of animals by establishing new centers and protecting them from many diseases.
Irrigation Facilities The agriculture of our country is still dependent on rain to a large extent. Village Panchayats provide maximum irrigation facilities by constructing and repairing public wells, ponds and irrigation drains.
Help of landless laborers – In Indian villages, even in Graz, lakhs of farmers work only as laborers on the land. Village-Panchayats, by making proper management of all the land, can arrange to distribute some of the land among such mardurs who do not have any land of their own and who have to remain idle for more than half of the year. The Prashok Mehta Committee, constituted to make the Panchayati Raj system effective, has given special emphasis on this suggestion that efforts should be made at the village panchayat level for the proper development of the landless farmers and weaker sections in the villages.
Development of Co-operative Societies – The economic condition of the villagers can be improved to a great extent through cooperative farming and cooperative societies. The success of co-operative societies is dependent on the efforts of the panchayats apart from the government efforts. Village-Panchayats promote the benefits of such committees easily among the villagers and encourage them to take part in cooperatives.
Importance of village panchayats in social life Village panchayats also help in rural progress through the following social works
Spread of education – Most of the villagers are still completely uneducated, due to this their social life is very backward. Village-Panchayats have proved to be helpful in the progress of the villagers by arranging adult education in addition to primary education in the villages.
Help of bonded laborers – The countrywide movement that started in our country since 1976 to free the bonded laborers from exploitation, its success also depends on the efforts of the village panchayats. Village Panchayats give information about the bonded laborers of their area to the government and through this work they try to make the social life of the village more healthy.
Social Reform Work – Many evil practices of rural society, such as – purdah, untouchability, ban on child marriage and widow remarriage, etc., are obstacles in rural progress. Gram Panchayats can prove to be very helpful in eliminating these evil practices. It may be a relatively easy task for the Gram Panchayat to prepare the people against these practices.
Maternity and child welfare facilities – The health of mothers and children is very important for national and social interest. many blind
Until recently, in India, about two lakh mothers died every year at the time of childbirth due to inhalation. Panchayats can do a lot of work in making the lives of mothers and children healthy through maternity and medical facilities. Some Panchayats have also done important work in this direction.
Prohibition on the use of drugs – It is very important for the rural people to stop the use of alcohol and other types of intoxicants in the village. Even today such items are used in large quantities on festivals and festivals in villages. This leads to both wastage of money and moral degradation. Even after the present law of prohibition, village panchayats can be very successful in stopping this braai because the members of the village panchayat have close contact with the villagers.
Importance of Panchayats in political life The contribution of village panchayats in the direction of rural leadership is accepted by all individuals. Panchayats perform these functions in many ways. for example –
(a) by explaining the meaning of voting to the villagers,
(b) by acquainting them with their important role in democracy,
(c) by giving citizenship education,
(d) by familiarizing himself with the ways of contributing to governance,
(f) by giving cheap and speedy justice to the villagers and
(g) By giving training to solve their own problems, village panchayats have encouraged healthy rural leadership. Gramiga not only learn to take interest in political life from Panchayati Raj organization, but they also know how they should use their vote in the era of democracy. On the basis of his study, Bhatnagar has clarified the fact that as a result of Panchayati Raj system, changes in rural society have started becoming evident since last one decade. There has now been enough awareness among the villagers, as a result of which the political dominance of the traditional elite has reduced. The villagers have also become conscious of their franchise and power. In areas where earlier traditional leadership was established without elections, now it has become necessary to have elections. Panchayats have also done important work in the political field by settling cases and local disputes. It is from the functioning of village panchayats that the villagers learn the basic principles of governance and by staying in these organizations, they acquire the necessary qualifications for democracy. In fact, the Panchayati Raj organization, despite being a socio-political system, organizes the entire village as a joint family. The head of the village assembly is like the karta of the joint family, which provides equal opportunities for development to all the members.
General Operation of Panchayati Raj Institutions – An Evaluation
There have been many studies in the last few years related to the functioning and achievements of these institutions, the main ones are as follows – A study conducted by Inamdar in Maharashtra shows that it takes time for the Panchayat to attain maturity and most of the Panchayats Its nature is democratic and ceremonial. A study by Iqbal Narayan and Mathur in Rajasthan reveals that Shakti groups are playing an important role in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
It has also been concluded from this study that the Gram Sabha is yet to emerge as an effective forum for constructive criticism of the functioning of the Panchayat. It was also found that there was a lack of enthusiasm among the people towards the Gram Sabha. This type of conclusion has been drawn by Inamdar and Panchanandikar and Panchanandikar on the basis of their studies. On the basis of his study done in Andhra Pradesh, Eshwar Rao has told that the establishment of Panchayati Raj has changed the social system of the villages. Now people have started participating in the development works and there has been a change in the power structure. b. s . Evaluating the effects of Khanna’s Panchayati Raj. It has been told that now the rural people have started speaking more about their problems, they have started giving more emphasis in relation to their demands and have started criticizing in relation to the shortcomings of administration and the failures related to the implementation of the programmes. Based on the study of two districts of Punjab, B. s . Khanna has told that educated and prudent leadership created good relations between officials and non-government people.
Yoga has been given in keeping. People’s interest in development work is increasing more and more and political parties are also very keen to expand their work in rural areas. The Panchayat Samitis near Dehli are mostly controlled by influential people. Committee
Problems with Panchayati Raj
( Problems of Panchayati Raj )
There are many such problems related to Panchayati Raj Institutions which hinder their successful functioning. Till these issues are not resolved by studying them in the right perspective, the work of rural reconstruction through these institutions will remain incomplete. Some of the problems of Panchayati Raj are as follows
Tension is found between the government and non-official members of Panchayati Raj. Government officials who were very powerful earlier, still do not want to give up power in the changed circumstances. While there is enthusiasm among the non-government workers due to the attainment of power and responsibility, the government officials are more than happy due to the decrease in their administrative power.
Satisfaction and indifference towards work. Preconceptions of both these types of people towards each other have hindered the work of rural reconstruction. They have doubts and trust in each other.
Another problem related to Panchayati Raj is lack of financial resources. It has been seen that in relation to the implementation of the schemes for which funds are received from the state government, there is interest in the public and lack of interest towards the rest, as well as the institutions related to Panchayati Raj from local resources. Not completely successful in the purpose of raising funds. The Panchayats and Panchayat Samitis are afraid of levying taxes due to the fear of public opposition. In such a situation, they have to depend only on the money received by the government. The result is that the pace of development is slow, adequate resources have not been provided to the Panchayat Samitis to conduct the works. Their taxing power is also very limited.
Most of the leaders elected to the Panchayati Raj Institutions are generally received by the people. These are often associated with their traditional gotras, kinsmen and joint members. , Get the support of your caste. They are often able to win elections on the basis of the extensive ties of their traditional families. Such a situation remains the litigant and radical changes cannot be expected from them. Who has told that after the dissolution of traditional Panchayats, there has been development of non-industrial groups. You encourage such groups by the name of ‘faction’ – partisanship.
Politics in Panchayati Raj Institutions Elections
Partisanship has also happened in rural areas due to the participation of parties. The result is that conflicts of one caste with another are found and even opposing pots are seen in one caste. Such stressful environment in rural community life hinders the successful functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions. It is seen in many ways that the members of these institutions get engaged in fulfilling the interests of the people belonging to their caste, gotra, family, friend group and their particular political party and the goal of all round development of the villages remains incomplete.
It is also seen that in rural areas, many qualified persons do not like to handle the responsibility of the post of Panch, Sarpanch, Pradhan or President due to party politics. Even after taking membership of these institutions, there is a lack of interest in their work in many people. The influence of capable and dedicated people is also a hindrance in the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Some members make these institutions the medium of husband for their personal interests. The result is that public dislike for such institutions arises.
Under the Panchayati Raj system, no effort has been made to make the Gram Sabha powerful. The mere arrangement of its meetings once or twice a year cannot generate interest in the public towards various development programs and readiness for public cooperation. The result was that in the schemes related to rural reconstruction, public cooperation could not be obtained as per expectations.
The kind of coordination that has been arranged in different workers at the block-level, that type of arrangement has not been made in the district level workers. The result was that the district level officers of various development departments do not coordinate their work under any Panchayati Raj Institution. Also, the head of the Zilla Parishad formed at the district level or the president does not have any control over the employees at the district level. In such a situation, the work of bringing rapid change in rural areas and bringing changes in development works and accelerating development works remains incomplete.
Solutions for Success
The Ashok Mehta Committee, in its report, has evaluated the Panchayati Raj system on the basis of three stages of its development – first, the state of dominance which existed from 1959 to 1964; Second, a state of inactivity or stagnation that occurred from 1965 to 1967: Third, a state of decline that lasted from 1969 to 1977. From studying these three stages of Panchayati Raj system, it is clear that the history of Panchayati Raj system from 1959 to 1977 has been a history of ups and downs.
In the initial stage the work of Panchayati Raj was very satisfactory, in the second stage it became a marketable institution while in the third stage it started declining. In this way, despite agreeing with the theoretical side of Panchayati Raj, some changes are necessary in its practical form, on the basis of which this system can be made an effective medium of rural development.
They can be made useful for the common man only by increasing the number of Panchayats in the villages. In order to improve the authority situation, it is necessary that the rights of Panchayats should be increased and the amount of financial assistance given to them in the form of grant should be increased. Apart from this, the government will get real knowledge of different rural areas and their problems only when the elected persons at different levels of Panchayati Raj system must be educated to a certain extent. At least for the candidates for the post of Pradhan and Up-Pradhan of Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad
A minimum educational qualification is required. Apart from this, on the basis of the following suggestions, the Panchayati Raj system can also be made more useful.
The development of village panchayats must be encouraged, but at the same time it is necessary to generate interest among the villagers to understand the working method of the panchayat. This work can be accomplished by organizing training camps.
) The various units of the Panchayati Raj system should not only function as units of governance, but they should be primarily concerned with social and economic development.
It seems necessary that more and more powers should be given to the Panchayati Raj Institutions to improve their economic condition, but at the same time it is also necessary that the resources of these institutions should be used only for the development of agriculture and productive work. Go
It is necessary to keep the Panchayati Raj system completely separate from the political parties. For this it is necessary that no candidate contests as a political party at any level of the three-tier system. It will be even more beneficial if the names of experienced and respected persons of the village are sent to the state government for nomination by the MPs and MLAs of the areas after ending the process of election.
If the system of election is considered necessary on a democratic basis, then it is necessary that the candidate participating in the election must be a permanent resident of that village for at least the last 10 years. The minimum educational qualification must be fixed for a candidate contesting elections at different levels of Panchayati Raj system, so that after getting elected, he can fulfill the responsibilities related to his office properly.
A separate evaluation team or study team should be appointed to look after the functions of the officials of the Panchayati Raj system and on the basis of its recommendation, grants should be given to the various levels of Panchayati Institutions.
Lastly, for the success of the Panchayati Raj system, it is necessary that a regional panchayat should be established on top of 10 or 15 panchayats to give coordinated instructions to the small panchayats. In the regional panchayat, the members of the shrache should be nominated from different panchayats and the maghe members can be ex-officio official.