Re: Parallel History of India
Grassroots level Administration in pre-Independent India:
The Chola administration served as a model for all the other kingdoms of the South. The king had a council of ministers. The kingdom was divided into a number of provinces known as mandalams, The mandalams in turn were divided into valanadu and nadus. The next administrative sub divisions were kurrams and kottams. The special feature of the Chola administration was the Local Self Government or the autonomous administration. The villagers themselves carried out village administration. It was more or less like the modern Panchayat Raj. Each village had a village assembly known as the ur or the sabha. The members of the sabha were elected by lot, known as kudavolai system. There was a committee to look after the specified departments, such as justice, law and order, irrigation etc., which were called as variyams.
During the time of the Rig-Veda (1200 BC), evidences suggest that self-governing village bodies called 'sabhas' existed. With the passage of time, these bodies became panchayats (council of five persons). Panchayats were functional institutions of grassroots governance in almost every village. The Village Panchayat or elected council had large powers, both executive and judicial. Land was distributed by this panchayat which also collected taxes out of the produce and paid the government's share on behalf of the village.
Above a number of these village councils there was a larger panchayat or council to supervise and interfere if necessary. Casteism and feudalistic system of governance under Mughal rule in the medieval period slowly eroded the self-government in villages. A new class of feudal chiefs and revenue collectors (zamindars) emerged between the ruler and the people. And, so began the stagnation and decline of self-government in villages.
During the British rule, the autonomy of panchayats gradually declined with the establishment of local civil and criminal courts, revenue and police organisations.
The panchayat system was sort of brought back after independence.The Indian constitution visualises panchayats as institutions of self-governance. However, giving due consideration to the federal structure of the country, most of the financial powers and authorities to be endowed on panchayats have been left at the discretion of concerned state legislatures. Consequently, the powers and functions vary from state to state. At present, there are about 3 million elected representatives at all levels of the panchayat one-third of which are women.
How is the village-level and grassroots admin done in Pakistan? Is there a similar implementation or a different one?
We hear from our elders that each Biradri (community /caste) got their leader , who provided solicitation for any dispute among the Biradri. There was also concept of Panchayat in rural areas. Now there is no such system prevalent, although people do respect the families of old Biradri leaders and at times smaller matters are resolved through them.