Change Markers At Grassroots: Local Governance In Action

This book, documenting twenty-three case studies, attempts to capture the distinct qualities of leadership at grassroots level in Tamil Nadu. Highlighting their commitment, sincerity, vision, hard work and honesty, it presents success stories of Panchayat leaders in diverse fields, such as maintaining communal harmony, natural resource management, water work, synergy between traditional and constitutional Panchayats, environmental protection, effective use of technology in the management of Panchayat finances, sanitation, making clean and plastic free village, rain water harvesting, mobilization of people for social action, development through forward and backward linkages, dalit and women empowerment, and relief and rehabilitation.
About Author :
Ganapathi Palanithurai, Professor in Rajiv Gandhi Chair, Gandhigram Rural University is an academic activist and currently heading the Department of Political Science and Development Administration. He has been associating himself with many development Institutions and organizations which include the Ford Foundation, the Hunger Project, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Population Foundation of India, the World Bank, UNDP, DANIDA, UNICEF, State and Centre Planning Commission, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the CAPART in specific areas of activities and more particularly empowering people and strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions. He has to his credit fifty two books, one hundred one twenty articles in reputed journals, twenty three working papers, twenty seven monographs, eighteen review articles. He was a recipient of Fellowship from Sastri Indo-Canadian Institute. New Delhi and the World Academy of Art and Science, USA. He was a visiting fellow in the McGill University, Canada in 1989. He is a member of the High Level Committee constituted by the Government of Tamil to devolve powers for local bodies. M A Thirunavukkarasu, the Field Co-ordinator of The Hunger Project, Gandhigram Rural Institute, is an activist working with people at grassroots level. He, along with veteran Gandhian activists Jegannathan and Krishnammal, participated in tillers movement. He is an expert in micro-planning and he has facilitated the Panchayat leaders to prepare micro plan document for their respective Panchayats. G Uma presently works as the Co-ordinator of The Hunger Project in Gandhigram Rural Institute. As a Co-ordinator of the project for Tamil Nadu, she co-ordinated women leadership training programme for the elected women representatives, especially women presidents of Gram Panchayats. She was instrumental in sensitizing the grassroots media to cover the struggle of the women leaders in the Panchayati Raj System.
Contents :
Contents Preface Introduction 1. Self Dignity of the Poor 2. Communal Harmony and Natural Resource Management 3. Communal Harmony through School Work and Water Work 4. Synergy between Traditional and Constitutional Panchayats 5. On the Model of Kumarappa 6. Panchayat Leader Transformed to Contribution from Tradition 7. Green Panchayat in the Making 8. New Management with Technology 9. Struggle for Environment 10. President Attracts President 11. Inner Transformation Transformed the Village 12. Plastic Free Village 13. People's Panchayats 14. A Leader of Leaders 15. Clean Village 16. Moving Beyond Panchayat 17. A New Culture for Cleanliness 18. Showed the Way to State Government 19. Panchayat Launched a Scheme 20. Development through Forward and Backward Linkages 21. Women and Children are Primary 22. A Role Model for Dalit Women Leaders 23. Panchayats in Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation Conclusion Index