A student of Delhi University, Raghavendra Parpanna wanted to study the role of decentralisation in decision making about primary education. He asked some questions to the villagers. These questions are given below. If you were among those villagers, what answer would you give to each of these questions? A meeting of the Gram Sabha is to be called to discuss what steps should be taken to ensure that every child of the village goes to the school.

A.

How would you decide the suitable day for the meeting? Think who would be able to attend / not attend the meeting because of your choice.

(i) A day specified by the BDO or the collector

(ii) Day of the village haat

(iii) Sunday

(iv) Naag Panchami / Sankranti

B.

What is a suitable venue for the meeting? Why?

(i) Venue suggested by the circular of the district collector.

(ii) Religious place in the village.

(iii) Dalit Mohalla.

(iv) Upper caste Tola.

(v) Village school.

C.

In the Gram Sabha meeting firstly a circular sent by the district collector was read. It suggested what step should be taken to organise an education rally and what should be its route. The meeting did not discuss about the children who never come to school or about girls' education or the condition of the school building and the timing of the school. No women teacher attended the meeting as it was held on Sunday.

  What do you think about these proceedings as an instance of people's participation?

D.

Imagine your class as the Gram Sabha. Discuss the agenda of the meeting and suggest some steps to realise the goal.

A.

According to me the most suitable day is the day on which the maximum participation of the members of the Gram Sabha is ensured. Such a day may not be a day specified by the Block Development Officer or the Collector. On the day of village hatt, the people are completely engaged in it. On Nag Panchami/Sanskrit, many members of the Gram Sabha would be celebrating these festivals. On Sunday, the members of the Gram Sabha engaged in the district offices could easily attend but the women teachers would not. In my opinion the day of village haat would be the most appropriate as most of the people are in the village on this day to buy or sell the utilities.

B.

The most suitable venue would be the village school. Because the school is for all and every body feels it his/her own. At the religious place people from all the communities may not come. Similarly Dalit Mohalla or Upper caste Tola will not be acceptable to all. Only the village school would be acceptable to all.

C.

The proceedings of the Gram Sabha meeting described above cannot be termed as an instance of people's participation. Firstly it was held on Sunday and on thus the women teachers did not attend it. A gram Sabha meeting is held to discuss the problems concerning the village people. It is not heartening to note that the Gram Panchayat only discussed the steps for the organisation of an education rally. It should have discussed the substantive problems like girls education, attendance of children in village schools, condition of the village school or the timing of the school.

D.

When we consider our class as the Gram Sabha, we declare first of all to arrange a meeting. The agenda of the meeting would be as:

1. To discuss the problems of the children who never come to school.

2. Poverty alleviation programmes.

3. The condition of the village streets.

4. Cultural programmes.

5. To arrange the funds for the above programmes.

6. Conclusion-Lecture by Gram Pradhan.