A Gandhian Agenda for a Global Union of Village Republics

Today, majority of the people live in misery fighting for survival. Hunger, Ignorance and Disease still remain the major problems. All pervasive corruption, aggravated by the use of money and muscle power by the political parties to win elections, has been worsening the situation. The growing divide between the super rich and the down-trodden has given an impetus to extremism. Terrorism stalks the countries of the world. Added to this, global warming is pushing the world toward annihilation. To retrieve the world from the brink of disaster, a global effort is urgently needed.

The system needs to be overhauled and a new leadership committed to Gandhian ideology must take over the reins of governance. Nations should come together to create a Global Union of Village Republics.

Gandhi’s vision of Indian was a 'Union of Village Republics' where each of the 700, 000 villages would have an elected panchayat (village council), fully autonomous with all the powers to govern itself. Unfortunately, his concept of a vibrant democracy based on Village Swaraj (self-government) was ignored in the Indian Constitution. Instead, the Westminister model of parliamentary democracy dominated by political parties was adopted. This has taken India along the path of peril, far removed from the Gandhian path of peace and prosperity.

In 9, when Mahatma Gandhi evolved his concept of Union of Village Republics his thoughts were focused on India’s freedom from the British rule. But all through his writings he had kept in mind peace, security and welfare of the people of the whole world.

In the Global Union world Nations would voluntarily become members, much like the United Nations and the European Union, but the authority to enforce universal peace and security vested with a democratically constituted apex body. An elected Government equipped with a peace force would over-ride narrow national interests and establish a new world of peace and prosperity.

It would be a world without conflict, nations without borders and people committed to Truth and non-violence.

With this objective in view a Charter has been drafted to create a new Global Union empowered to enforce laws enacted by a world assembly or parliament.

Charter

Ushering in a Partyless Democracy

1. A four-tier structure of elected Panchayat (village council) Unions at the District/ State level, District Unions at the National level and the Unions of World Nations at the Global level will be the format for the Global Union of Village Republics.

2. Under the new democratic system direct elections are held only at the bottom level to the Village Councils (Panchayats). Elections to higher legislative bodies are limited to the elected members of the Panchayats. This will put an end to the malpractices in the present expensive and complicated electoral process dominated by the political parties.

3. National parliaments will elect representatives to the Global Parliament, which in turn elects a leader for a term of five years. The person will be the President of the global Union and will be empowered by the Global Parliament to form his own government and implement the decisions of the Parliament.

4. An independent judiciary will ensure the smooth functioning of the global democratic system.

Banishing Hunger 

5. Expanding population, low productivity and benefits of development projects failing to reach the beneficiaries are the main reasons for the unresolved problem of growing poverty in countries of the third world. Drastic measures are needed to remedy the critical situation.

6. To enhance productivity in farming and small industries, new tools, guidance, training and financial assistance will be provided through agricultural and technological institutions in every district.

7. Member Nations will be guided and funded by a Global Fund for implementing a uniform industrial and agricultural policy geared to promote job-oriented projects. Priority will be for industries offering maximum job opportunities and to agro industries in rural areas.

8. The educated unemployed will be enrolled in career training programmes according to their talent and desire and placed in suitable jobs.  A subsistence allowance will be paid during the training period. No one will be left idle.

Removing Ignorance

9. Literacy alone cannot remove ignorance and superstition widely prevalent among the masses. The education policy will be designed to combine science and spirituality to strengthen the inherent moral fiber in every human being from young age.

10. The medium of instruction will be English for science subjects and mother tongue for other subjects. English will be recognized as the official international language.

11. To achieve the goal of universal education all the children under 10 years of age will be enrolled compulsorily in a neighborhood government school. Classes at the primary level can be held outside the school compound entrusted to qualified teachers such as educated women and retired teachers. This would ease the space problem in school as also save much expenditure in infrastructure.

Preventing Disease

12. Prevention is better than cure. Medical facilities will be provided for all the people under a social security scheme that will also take care of the aged and the destitute. At the same time preventive measures will be taken by inoculation against infections and epidemics, and propagating personal and community healthcare, hygiene and clean environment.