Haryana shows way to encourage education, sanitation, fiscal discipline

Haryana has been in past in the news for its infamous Khap Panchayat seeking to impose their rulings on marriages and all other aspects of lives under their jurisdictions.  Also for its numerous cults and god-men and -women seeking to keep gullible people in their bondage by exploiting their superstitions, illiteracy and poverty.  

A recent news report, tucked away in inside pages of a national English daily, portrays Haryana in a different light, one which is progressive looking.  I am sure this news item worthy of above the fold headlines will not receive much public attention.  My attempt is to put it on social media to spur a debate.

The report is about the Haryana Panchayat Act.  The Act stipulates minimum education qualification for contesting local elections - standard 10 for men; standard 8 for women and standard 5 for Dalits.  Also  the eligibility criteria include toilets at residence and no default in payment of agriculture loans and electricity bills.

The Supreme Court has stayed the law stipulating mandatory educational qualification. Understandably so as these stipulations may at first look undemocratic. But think of the potential the Act has in revolutionizing  education, sanitation, and even politics in the country.  One must commend the Haryana government for taking such a bold step.

The same report in the inside box says that the cooperative banks in Haryana received ₹53 crore in just three days from 10000 people against non-payment of dues and expect to get around ₹400 crore!! What does that prove? That farmers and others were deliberately defaulting in the hope that the government would waive loans during one of the pre-elections populism!  These people who queued up to pay defaults were not poor or marginalized.  in the same vain,  the Act would encourage people to send their children to schools and build toilets inside their houses.  

The national government should take note of it and introduce such Act after public debate through a Parliament Act that would make such criteria of eligibility for all elections.  Or even amend the Constitution to make it incontestable in courts.  

Such measures have potential to help in a significant way the present government's drive towards Swacch Bharat, Stand -up India or Start-up India.  I wish media takes note of this news and starts a debate on this.  It is worth giving a serious consideration.

Here is the report clip