System panćajatu
Panćayati system

Summary/Abstract: In this short analysis of the Pancayati Raj, the form of grassroots level democracy par excellence, the article attempts at explaining what a Pancayat is, both etymologically and socially, and how it functions in India. It also throws light on its history, on the effects of British rule, its current legal and administrative status. The reader will discover why political will is important in strengthening Pancayats and how self-sufficient Pancayats lead to a better living and social conditions in far-fetched parts of the world's seventh biggest country in the world with a population of more than a billion. The article later compares the differences between Pancayats across different Indian states. Finally, there is a comparison between the Rromani Kris and Pancayats with common points and differences that arise due to circumstantial contexts. The reader may be perplexed if the Rromani Kris is linked to Pancayats, but such forms of local governance have existed across continents for centuries. Few have survived, and they deserve their due credit.

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