Role of reservation for women in rural political institutions and constitutional implications

Abstract

India is a country of villages. The development and progress of India depends on the development and progress of villages. Gandhiji had rightly said that if villages are destroyed, India will be destroyed. The makers of the Indian Constitution were also well aware of this fact. Therefore, to realize our independence and make it permanent, sufficient attention was paid to the rural governance system. It has been directed in our Constitution that the state will take steps to create village panchayats and provide them with such power and authority that they can Gram Panchayats can work as a unit of self-governance. This study of implementation of Panchayat Raj and rural women leadership makes it clear that the socio-economic status of the leadership is more or less on an average low like that of the Scheduled Tribes. This is the first opportunity for women of this class, who traditionally have a low status in the rural social structure, to lead. In the multifarious activities of Panchayat Raj, the status of the leadership of rural women has been like that of a trainee. Due to reasons like illiteracy, weak socio-economic background and lack of formal work experience, ignorance of many important provisions was seen in this leadership. Despite this, this leadership has expressed clear views on topics like rural development, problems of Panchayat, upliftment of Scheduled Tribes.