08-28-2006, 04:49 AM
<b>`Aura of democracy waning in country'</b>
Staff Reporter
Common man's voice in the overall governance was on the decline
Medha Patkar
NEW DELHI: Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar said here on Thursday that the "aura" of democracy was waning in the country and common man's voice in the overall governance of the country was on the decline.
For democracy to be really meaningful, it was vital that the tribals, the farmers and the labourers were brought into the loop of "decentralised management" and "participatory functioning", she said.
`Preserve resources'
Delivering the Eighth D. S. Borker Memorial Lecture on "My Vision of India 2047 A.D." here, Ms. Patkar called upon one and all to come forward in preserving natural resources and join the revolution that would retain India's pristine structure and banish the "ugly monster" of corporate development.
The NBA leader said she feared that the dream might just remain a dream, going by the present governance style.
She said the very basis of participatory democracy was being consciously marginalised by the tech-savvy "new rulers" by depriving various communities the right to develop, plan and govern the resources they have been living with for ages.
Dubbing the large-scale suicide by farmers in an agrarian country like India exposed the tall claims of "democratic functioning", Ms. Patkar said the peasantry was not just losing its land but also dignity faced as it was with the crude onslaught of market economy.
Calling on people to "act now" as the nation stood at the crossroads, Ms. Patkar said they need to take a stand and that there should be a public debate in this regard with mass participation.
"The time for such a debate is now. Tomorrow, it would be too late for an India of our dreams in 2047," she warned.
<img src='http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/27/images/2006082715140301.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Staff Reporter
Common man's voice in the overall governance was on the decline
Medha Patkar
NEW DELHI: Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar said here on Thursday that the "aura" of democracy was waning in the country and common man's voice in the overall governance of the country was on the decline.
For democracy to be really meaningful, it was vital that the tribals, the farmers and the labourers were brought into the loop of "decentralised management" and "participatory functioning", she said.
`Preserve resources'
Delivering the Eighth D. S. Borker Memorial Lecture on "My Vision of India 2047 A.D." here, Ms. Patkar called upon one and all to come forward in preserving natural resources and join the revolution that would retain India's pristine structure and banish the "ugly monster" of corporate development.
The NBA leader said she feared that the dream might just remain a dream, going by the present governance style.
She said the very basis of participatory democracy was being consciously marginalised by the tech-savvy "new rulers" by depriving various communities the right to develop, plan and govern the resources they have been living with for ages.
Dubbing the large-scale suicide by farmers in an agrarian country like India exposed the tall claims of "democratic functioning", Ms. Patkar said the peasantry was not just losing its land but also dignity faced as it was with the crude onslaught of market economy.
Calling on people to "act now" as the nation stood at the crossroads, Ms. Patkar said they need to take a stand and that there should be a public debate in this regard with mass participation.
"The time for such a debate is now. Tomorrow, it would be too late for an India of our dreams in 2047," she warned.
<img src='http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/27/images/2006082715140301.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />