Eminent citizens oppose Panchayat Act amendments

NEW DELHI: Describing as "anti-democratic’’ 20 eminent citizens including Fali Nariman, Justice K Handru, Aruna Roy, Prashant Bhushan, Ramchandra Guha among others have criticized the amendments to the Panchayat Act passed by Rajasthan and Haryana. In a letter to Parliamentarians, they have urged that the citizens right to contest should be protected. The letter says that this move directly debars 70% of the rural electorate above the age of 20 years, Adivasis, Dalits and women.
"We are disappointed that some parties defended education criteria in Parliament and are worried that similar permanent exclusions may be imposed in other states...The amendments attack the very construct of citizenship in a democracy by curtailing two key citizenship rights: the right to contest for public office and the right to vote for a candidate of one’s own choice,’’ the letter said.
"It is clear from the scale of disqualification that the amendments undermine democracy and facilitate elite capture of local state institutions even though they are purported to improve governance. The dilution of the right of the poor and marginalized to exercise political choice is a continuing trend that began with the two-child norm and toilets clause imposed as eligibility criteria by previous governments; however, this logic has now been extended to absurd levels given both the scale and permanence of disenfranchisement,’’ the letter said.