Impediments of Institutionalisation of local Democracy in Kashmir (original) (raw)
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Obstructions and Challenges of Local Self- Government of the Jammu and Kashmir in Current Scenario
Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology, 2020
In India, the Local Self-Government is working in the form of Panchayati Raj System, through 73 rd Amendment Act of Indian constitutions. India is a land of villages in which 70% of the population is living. For the local self-government in 70% population, the Panchayati Raj System is the best way through with the rural population can understand the real taste of democracy. Because in India the panchayat system is an old and traditional concept, through which the people resolve their dispute through their local representatives and they can easily understand the concept of local self-government. This system provides a great opportunity for the poor rural population to share their political right as well as democratic rights at the grassroots level. In Indian States, the Panchayat Raj system is considered as the third pillar of Indian democracy which mobilized 70% of the rural population toward the democratic system. But the local self-government system of the Jammu and Kashmir disturbed from 1947 to till now. The history of the Jammu and Kashmir is different from the other States of India due to its separate constitution and the special status of Article 370 which abrogated by the BJP government in 2019. In the current scenario, the local government of the Jammu and Kashmir is facing a lot of obstructions and challenges. In this Research paper, I analyzed the situation, obstructions, and challenges, of local level self-government of Jammu and Kashmir in the current scenario.
2011 Panchayat Elections in Kashmir: A Case for Democratic De-centralisation
A working democratic set-up provides ample space to mitigate the tensions in a society to a large extent. Unfortunately, democracy could not work in Jammu and Kashmir the way it is expected to work in a free society. Denial of democracy and misgovernance became almost an accepted way of political life in the state, which became one of the main reasons of the rise of militancy in the state. The 2011 panchayat elections provide the best opportunity to restore the confidence of the people in the democratic set-up by empowering the elected representatives in a real sense and bringing more and more people into the democratic setup. It also poses a great challenge to the government as far as fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the common people who have whole heartedly participated in this democratic exercise at the local level.
Democratic decentralization can be defined as meaningful authority devolved to local unit of governance that are accountable to the local citizenry, who enjoy completely political rights and liberty at grass root level to upper level. Panchayati Raj system is the only source which provides a great opportunity of complete democracy, local level development process, political awareness, protection of rights, democratic decisionmaking process, self-dependent, and political power to the village people. The present research work is divided into two parts. The first part pertains to the theoretical aspect covering the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989 which provides for the establishment of Panchayats at the state level. The second part relates to the empirical findings of the study like the devolution of powers, process of decentralization, electoral process, socio-economic and political background of the elected members. Awareness of the elected members towards the different provisions of the act and the constraint faced by them while performing their duties. The study was conducted in 2017 in two randomly selected Panchayats from two blocks of District poonch of state Jammu and Kashmir. In this paper I would like to explore the democratic decentralization process
Perceptions of Denizens of Kashmir on Panchayat Raj: A Study of some Villages of District Anantnag
Panchayati Raj is the sole means for the common denizen of any state of the country to come in the mainstream development. it is the government of the local people as they are well aware of their local problems and know their solution in a more serious way. However, if we look at the performance of these local democratic institutions we find three categories of states, the states where these institutions perform very well, the states where panchayats perform at an average and the last category where Panchayat institutions facing challenges while performing. Jammu and Kashmir are also one of the states which are listed among those states whose performance was very low as per the 2015-16 report of Ministry of Panchayat Raj Government of India.
Decentralisation Through Panchayati Raj in Jammu and Kashmir . A Critical Analysis
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Decentralisation actually means that sub national or sub state units of government are given discretion to engage in effective (as opposed to illusory) decission making process that affects the lives of the people residing within sub national or sub state jurisdictions Panchayati Raj plays an important role at grass-root level in Indian democracy. In Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj was enacted in Act of 1989 before four years of Panchayati Raj Amendment Act of 73rd of Indian union in 1993. Under this Act the first Panchayat election was held after a gap of 12 years in 2001 was not successful due to armed conflict. Recently in 2018 Panchayat election was held in J&K is successful compared to last Panchayat Elections under pressure from violence. In present study various challenges are discussed before actual decentralisation of power through Panchayati Raj in Jammu and Kashmir.
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QUEST JOURNALS, 2023
Jammu and Kashmir is an area in northern India with a unique geopolitical backdrop and cultural variety, and this study looks at how its residents participate in rural local administration. This research examines the development of participatory practises over time, as well as the institutional and historical context of local governance in the area. The study seeks to understand the existing degree of engagement and the factors driving or inhibiting it through primary data gathering methods like surveys, interviews, and focus groups, and secondary research including literature reviews and analysis of government reports and NGO publications. Rural local governance is examined, with a focus on the Panchayati Raj system, along with the administrative and legal safeguards that ensure citizens have a voice in decision-making. Questions about the level of citizen participation, the influence of political shifts, the significance of technology, and opportunities for improvement are all explored. It emphasises the value of social capital, individual agency, and a focus on the needs of individual citizens as means to encourage community-wide cooperation and concerted effort. The benefits of egovernance efforts, such as increased access to information, openness, and citizen feedback, are used to assess technology's effect on participation. However, problems associated with e-governance initiatives, such as the digital gap and the lack of inclusivity, are also explored. The study concludes that policymakers should prioritise efforts to increase digital infrastructure and literacy, as well as those to increase support for grassroots organisations that work to increase public engagement. More effective and inclusive decision-making processes, leading to sustainable development and peace in the region, can be attained by Jammu and Kashmir's rural government if it encourages active citizenship and values community involvement.
District Development Council: an initiative for strengthening democracy in Jammu and Kashmir
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Among the rising heat over Article 370 revocations in valley, the parliament of India in October 2020 amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, to hold direct elections to District Development Council (DDC) with a stated goal of strengthening democracy at the gross root level. Almost after the fourteen months of revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the election was first political engagement which attracted the attention of the whole country. The paper attempts to examine the evolution of Panchayati Raj system in Jammu and Kashmir. The paper further analysed the structure of DDC and the objectives behind the creation of the Council.
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As envisaged in the 73rd and 74th Amendment Act, this document outlines a comprehensive framework to reform local governance in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by integrating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) into a unified, multi-tier structure. The proposed District Planning and Development Boards (DPDBs) aim to strengthen grassroots democracy, enhance representation, and improve coordination for inclusive development. Drawing on successful governance models across India, this framework provides actionable recommendations for phased implementation, addressing systemic gaps in representation, accountability, and resource management.
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ASSESSMENT OF PANCHAYATI RAJ: A STUDY OF KASHMIR VALLEY
"Local-self government denotes the right and capability of local authority within the limit of law to regulate and manage a significant share of public affairs under own reasonability and the interests of the local inhabitants". (European Charter of local Government. Part (1) Art 3). Abstract: In today"s globalised world, there is growing emphasis on and recognition of the importance of the quality of democracy at the local level (State of Local Democracy Assessment Framework International IDEA). In the modern period decentralisation the power to the people is one of the central Pillar of democracy. Through this decentralisation at the grassroots level the common citizen is connected with the process of planning, decision making and development of the country. In the Indian context, the vocabulary of this process of decentralisation is termed as Panchayati Raj. This Indian model of Panchayati Raj is of enormous interest to the developing as well as the developed countries across the globe (Panchayati Raj Report 2015-16) our country has signed memorandom of understanding with various countries like Afganistan, Switzerland, the kingdom of Norway and on the 6th BRICS summit held in Brazil in 15-16, July 2014. The Honourable Prime Minister in his interventions announced some new initiatives is "To promote engagement between BRICS states, cities and local bodies". In 2016 also in 8th BRICS Summit hosted by India. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj proposed as part of the BRICS conference to organise interaction between BRICS countries on local governance and participatory budgeting in October 2016 (Panchayati Raj Report 2015-16).