When responsibility appears, Leadership evolves,

When individuality disappears, Collective wisdom evolves

When ego disappears, selfless service appears

When people have a mission, something beautiful emerges

When there is a purpose, the direction appears

When there is communality, Mutuality evolves

Give people the right to decide, a beautiful system develops

Remove the shackles, Creative energies emerge

Have you ever thought about possibilities of minimizing the governance? Have you ever thought about the possibilities of collective decisions for a brighter future? Have you ever thought of introducing innovations at small scale to create an impact? Have you ever thought that some system can be introduced without government intervention? For any and every thing we look at the government. For anything, we wish that the government should enact a law and implement it. Is this a good practice?

Over a period of time, governments have become too much bureaucratic and the idea that government is for the people, by the people and of the people seems irrelevant. With increasing powers of bureaucrats and so called experts, the involvement of common people or mere thought of common people oriented policies has also disappeared. For even tiny matters, the government (which is run by bureaucrats for all such practical matters) comes out with huge laws codified in verbose and highly enriched language, which is least understood by common people. Year after year, we are compiling such laws, which have minimum followers and it is only the force which is driving people to do something whether they like it or not.

It is the time to dedicate the country to the people. It is the time to explore the possibility that people can decide what is important for them. It is the time to trust people and to give them responsibility for what they want to become and how they want to govern themselves.

However, with the increasing urbanization we are, today, finding a disintegrating society. The collective power of people is withering away. It is shocking to know that neighbours don’t know each other. What to talk about collective actions for community development? However, traditionally India and other such developing countries have nurtured practices, which have always created flourishing communities. Villages, towns and mohallas have enabled people to discuss, evolve and implement their decisions. Many a times, the decision of the communities have been revolutionary decisions. It has been proved again and again that the power of the community decision is more than the law of the government. The will power of the people to enforce a decision can help or damage the society. Collective initiatives of people can make any place a heaven. People can introduce innovative practices, support systems and community engagement programmes. People can nurture, support and help environment also. People can do anything – which even the government cannot do with its enormous power and might. The power of people is amazing and there is a need to recognize and respect them if they come forward to do something constructive.

Let me take you to Piplantri. This is a small village of about 5200 people in Southern Rajasthan (Rajsamand District). People decided here to welcome a girl child and they planted 111 trees whenever a girl was born in the village. Due to this innovative practice, the villagers have planted close to 2.5 lakh trees so far. The villagers plant 11 trees whenever a person dies in this village. They not only plant a new tree, they also nurture and support the planted trees. The villagers have also grown aloevera around those trees to protect them. This has helped them in employment generation also. Not only this, they also collect Rs. 21,000 and add Rs. 10,000 from the father of the girl and deposit this Rs. 31,000 in the bank in the account of the girl with a maturity covenant of 20 years. They also take an undertaking from the father of the girl that the girl will not be married pre-mature. They have framed their own systems and own set of regulations, which are accepted, followed and practised more religiously than the law of the land. Their regulations have benefitted themselves and have enabled them to transform their village beyond ordinary levels.

People of this village have collectively evolved many such practices which make this village the best village to visit. This village has also won many awards like the Adarsh Village award, Nirmal Gram award etc. This is the village which has emerged as the model village. This village has proved that the collective spirit of the people can convert any village into a heaven and this spirit must be recognized and respected.
Let’s take all village leaders to Piplantri so that they take inspiration from this village and start taking a lead forward. Let’s wish that the dream of Gandhi ji of having a self-regulated village leadership takes place and let’s wish that the example of Piplantri is taken up positively by all the villages and communities and similar initiatives are taken by everyone. Let us wish that the governance system will change to a self-regulated and self-governed system.

People are the change makers, if you trust.

Every human being is outstanding, if you rely.

Everyone wants to create a good system, allow them

The universe is manifestation in each of us, accept it

Law itself tells you, I am in every individual

Governance itself tells you, I am in every organism

Let us salute the great human interventions, whatever impact they make