Part 01- Independence, Political Empowerment, and Community Building : Panchayati Raj in India

Despite its undeniable impact in relation to the very ethos of independence, urban India remains largely oblivious to the functioning of a panchayat; Social Science textbooks mostly offer a reductive understanding which primarily comes in handy for UPSC exam prep. And, while the hugely popular web series, Panchayat,  does provide a glimpse into the functioning of local government; there is not enough discourse around the challenges, issues, opportunities and non-performance of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Earlier this month, video clips from the oath-taking ceremony in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh went viral.  In the video, husbands, brothers and other male relatives of newly elected women Sarpanchs were seen taking the oath on their behalf. In what is an exact replica of the web