Question

Answer the following questions in six sentences. Explain Gandhi's concept of Gram Swarajya in the light of decentralization.

Answer 1

Hint:The main principle of good governance is based on respect for human rights.
Good governance has features of rule of law. Good governance talks about democracy, promoting transparency and capacity in public administration.

Complete answer:
The accountability of the state and its institutions to meet the needs and aspirations of the people, and having the feature of inclusive citizenship are main characteristics of good governance.
- Democracy is based on the equality of all human beings, their common right to participate in social and political transformation and the right to development and right to live in dignity.
- Panchayat Raj is a system which is an outcome of the process of good governance. Villages have always been the basic building blocks of administration in India since primitive times.
- The Gram Sabha is the pillar of the whole Panchayat Raj institutional set-up, and thus of the Indian democratic system. This is very useful for the development of India. So, in the 21st century Gandhiji concept of Swaraj becomes very important.
- Democratic decentralization is a concept of Gandhiji which bears the stamp of his passionate belief in non-violence, truth and individual freedom.
- According to him it is called Panchayati Raj or village Swaraj. He wants that each village should be a republic, self-sufficient in production of vital wants, organically and non-hierarchically linked with the larger spatial bodies and enjoying the freedom of deciding the affairs of the locality on their own. - Gandhiji wanted that political power should be distributed among the villages in India. Gandhi preferred the term ‘Swaraj’ to describe what he means of true democracy.

Note: -This true democracy vital is freedom.
-In Gandhi’s view Individual freedom could be maintained only in autonomous communities.
-Individual freedom is maintained by self-reliant communities that offer opportunities to the people for fullest participation.