SHILLONG: Despite series of High Court orders stripping off the powers of traditional institutions, a public administration official said on Wednesday that the case of Northeast including Meghalaya demonstrated a true model of participatory democracy.
Delivering a lecture on ‘Participatory Democracy’, former Secretary General of Rajya Sabha, Dr. Yogendra Narain appreciated the system in the Northeast which showcased the presence of regional and local autonomous bodies that decentralise power directly to the people in the State. This, according to him, demonstrated a true model of participatory democracy.
Aiming at enhancing the democratic system in the country and the State in particular, the lecture was organised by Meghalaya Institute of Governance.
Narain, a former Defence Secretary, Government of India and former Chief Secretary to the Government of Uttar Pradesh stressed the importance of participation in strengthening democracy.
Yogendra said, “There are several factors that can enhance participatory democracy in the country and these include use of technology, creating awareness of laws, formation of laws, involving people in decision making, decentralization, specialization and globalization, political participation, accounting, promoting civil societies and NGOs, empowerment for the weaker section and spread of education.’’
Citing the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who uses technology in the form of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, Yogendra said that the modern world of technology can provide many platforms to people for sharing their views and feedback on important social and political issues and thus participate in a democratic dialogue.
