Deliberative Democracy in India

Parthasarathy, Ramya ; Rao, Vijayendra

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: deliberation;    democracy;    inequality;    inclusion;    participatory governance;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7995
RP-ID  :  WPS7995

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper traces the evolution ofdeliberative institutions in India to understand the role ofdeliberation in democratic life, as well as the ways inwhich deliberative bodies influence, and are influenced by,entrenched social inequality. The paper first unpacks thehistorical roots of Indian deliberation in the pre-colonialand colonial periods, emphasizing the ways in whichreligious traditions fostered a culture of debate anddialogue. The paper then explores the interplay betweenWestern liberal philosophers, most notably Henry Maine, andIndian political thinkers, including Gandhi and Ambedkar, onparticipatory democracy in India. The discussion thenhighlights the continued dialogue between Indian and Westernideas in the push for greater participatory development.Finally, the paper probes the current incarnation ofstate-sponsored deliberation in India -- namely, villageassemblies known as gram sabhas under the constitutionallymandated system of Indian village democracy or PanchayatiRaj -- and reviews the growing empirical scholarship aboutthese village assemblies.