Decentralization and Local Politics

This volume, the second in the series Readings in Indian Government and Politics, contains thirteen seminal essays which focus on the dialectic between the policies and institutions of decentralization and local politics in India, particularly from the 1980s onwards. Evocative of tensions between matters of local autonomy and the demands of development, the volume urges a concern for an understanding of the complex nature of decentralization, particularly in view of the enormous diversity of Indian society. The contributors argue for a notion of decentralization that, in accordance with the practice of democracy, allows for the co-existence of the national and the local within the institutional framework of a division of power. The book is divided into four parts. The essays in Part I are a commentary on such fundamental issues as globalization, development and federalism. A wide range of topics is covered in Part 2 ranging from the history of panchayati raj, its contribution to development programmes and regional experiences of panchayati raj institutions, to problems of local resources, ‘functional’ and financial devolution and issues of decentralization for scheduled areas. Part 3 covers the urban institutions of decentralized governance, while the final section looks at the social-structural context of local politics, with particular reference to issues of local leadership, caste mobilization and the mobilization of women. Overall, the book provides a compact yet comprehensive analysis of the political dimensions of decentralization from both macro and micro perspectives. It will serve as a text or supplementary reading for students of political science, public administration and rural development. It is also an important resource for administrators and policy makers as well as aspiring civil servants, and all those interested in issues related to development and the complexities of the Indian polity.