Question
What were the views of the Father of the Nation on village Panchayats?
Solution
Mahatma Gandhi strongly pleaded for decentralisation of economic and political power. He believed that strengthening village Panchayats was a means of effective decentralisation. All development initiatives must have local involvement in order to be successful. For the Father of the Nation, the independence of India meant the independence of the whole of India. Independence should begin at the bottom ushering every village into a republic. He wanted every village to be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs. He also visualized the life as a pyramid with the open sustained by the bottom.
