Empower State Governments to Promote Democracy: Dr Jayaprakash Narayan

KOCHI:
Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) hosted Dr Jayaprakash Narayan, to present its 15th Quarterly Lecture on November 22, 2017 at the Grand Hotel, Kochi.
He spoke on the topic Governance and Politics – Need for a New Paradigm to an audience of former and current bureaucrats, civil society organisations, corporate leaders, financial institutions, media and students.
A former physician, bureaucrat, political reformer and now politician, Dr Jayaprakash Narayan, the founder and the President of Lok Satta Party launched significant initiatives to make ethical and rational politics sustainable, enhance transparency and accountability, liberate cooperatives from bureaucratic clutches, empower local governments and stakeholders, improve delivery of education and healthcare, and ensure speedy and efficient justice.
The Quarterly Lecture Series was initiated in November 2012 to share insights with the public on social and political themes. Dr D Dhanuraj, Chairman of CPPR said, “We strive to initiate policy changes by publishing our research and by framing policy debates and discussions on various subjects. The Quarterly Lecture Series is designed to create a nation-wide conversation and offer the civic society an opportunity to interact with thought leaders in a town hall–style setting”.
In a wide-ranging address, Dr Jayaprakash Narayan emphasized the supreme importance of decentralization and good governance. He said, “India has put up with inherent prejudice against the localisation of power. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were gigantic frauds that created underpowered local governments.”
Highlighting the four postulates of a functional democracy – competitive elections, political freedom, electoral government and winners not punishing the losers, he said that Kerala has been a successful model of social engineering in the country. He also commended the state’s achievements in human development compared to the rest of the country. Kerala has bravely given power to local institutions, while the rest of India has shied away from it.
“Though India has been able to integrate 22 languages in one nation, and wage struggles and protests to emerge as the only truly federal country formed post Second World War, our performance has been short of our potential,” he noted.
Criticising the tremendous asymmetry of power between the ordinary citizens and those in power, the social reformer-turned- politician called for genuine rule of law and an efficient system of accountability to further the country’s development. “We are still a poor country in a large measure. Nearly 90% of the citizens of India are weaker economically and less stable and influential politically and socially. We need to build institutional underpinnings to ensure accountability, as without accountability, democracy will be reduced to vote and shout,” he added.
Dr Narayan’s address also dealt with the erosion of the electoral system in the country. He stated that the electoral system had become so fossilised that money power controls voting. Calling out money power, freebie culture and caste reservations as means for short-term political gains, he said that India should bring in the best and brightest into politics to change the status quo.