Question

Contrast the ‘elections’ in Uttaramerur with present day panchayat elections?

Answer 1

Hint: An election is a formal decision-making process of a group by which a population selects a person or several persons to hold the public office. Elections have been the usual method by which democratic parliamentary democracy has worked since the 17th century.

Complete answer:
The system of Election in Uttaramerur was different from the present day panchayat elections. The sabhas were an integral part of the local governance system of Tamil Nadu from the seventh to the twelfth century. Each sabha had various committees which overlooked the construction and maintenance of the public facilities like temples, gardens, irrigation works, etc.

The names of those people who were seen as eligible to be members of these committees were written on the palm leaf tickets and put into an earthen pot. A small boy then picked the tickets carrying the names of the members of each committee. This process, with its pre-requisites of property based eligibility and picking of tickets, was not ideal. However, it can be seen as a precursor to the future panchayati system.

In present times, the panchayat elections in India are conducted on the basis of democratic principles. Nowadays, the panchayat elections are carried out through sarpanch and voted by the machine.

Note: The decision-maker elected by the village-level legislative body of local self-government called the Gram Sabha (village government) in India is a sarpanch or pradhan or mukhiya. The Sarpanch, together with other elected panchayat members, constitute the gram panchayat.