Direct democracy is when we all gather under the banyan tree for the Gram Sabha and raise hands ourselves. Indirect is when we elect the Sarpanch to speak for us later. In our village, the Gram Sabha should be direct... but often, the big decisions about the water tap or the road repair get made in someone's *kothi* over tea, not in the open meeting. I know because my vote for a handpump near the Dalit basti last year was in the register, but the cement was poured by the upper caste lane instead.
#life#career
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