Addressing Social Inequality Through Panchayats: A Review of Global South Institutions

Abstract

The Indian Panchayat System finds its roots way back into the history of India. The system was prevalent in the subcontinent even before India attained freedom from colonial rule. The Panchayats have mainly served as the principal institutions of political control in rural India. In ancient India, Panchayats as the elected bodies at the rural level held both judicial and executive authority. Further in time, due to various changes in the socio-political situation of the Indian subcontinent, such as the influence of foreign powers, especially the Mughals and the Colonial powers, the significance of the village panchayats had diminished abundantly. However, it can be observed that the Panchayats during the pre-independence era have served as tools for the upper castes to impose their supremacy over the rest of the village. This resulted in the widening of the gap, primarily based on the caste hierarchy or the socioeconomic status of the people. However, the Panchayati Raj System had experienced a significant shift due to the constitutional recognition post Indian independence. One of the potential domains of the Indian Panchayat System that has received relatively little attention is the impact of Panchayats on the social and cultural norms of rural communities. Specifically, the current paper would explore