Architect of the Panchayati Raj

Every civics textbook has mentioned the panchayat and its tiers, the heads of the system and its functioning. Ever wondered who was the mind behind the carefully thought out scheme of Panchayati Raj? Read on to find out about the life Balwantrai Mehta.

India Post released a postage stamp to celebrate Balwantrai Mehta's 100th birth anniversary in 2000; Source: Public Domain

Balwantrai Mehta was born into a humble middle-class family on the 19th of February, 1900 in the state of Bhavnagar, British India. Since his adolescent days, at time when the Free-India Movement had just begun to rear its head, Mehta enthusiastically joined the movement in 1920, fervently fighting back and resisting the colonial oppression.

At a time, when the protests weren't very widespread, it was much more difficult for the people to persist and there was hesitation in the air. Balwantrai Mehta who had almost finished his degree in Bachelor of Arts, resolutely refused to accept a degree from the colonial government.

After making public his stance on the imperial powers present in pre-independence India, Mehta joined the national Non-Cooperation movement in 1920 and promptly threw himself heart, body and soul into the battle for freedom. Later on, he would go on to actively participate in the Civil Disobedience movement from the year 1930-1932. Never looking back, Mehta never hesitated in the fight and marched from the Satyagraha Movement in Nagpur to the Bardoli Satyagraha.

Balwantrai Mehta would spend a total of 7 long years in prison under the colonial government!

After Jawaharlal Nehru came into presidential power, Balwantrai Mehta was elected as the esteemed General secretary.

The milestone in his life came along when as the Chairman of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in 1957 , he would institute  the scheme of 'democratic decentralisation' which finally came to be known as Panchayati Raj. A scheme which revolutionised welfare at the grassroots level. The committee submitted a report suggesting the building of the now famous 3-tier Panchayati Raj system, giving these legislative bodies complete control over planning and administration.

It was a brilliant move, one whose benefits are reaped even to this day!

Being one of the masterminds behind the Panchayati Raj system earned him the title of ‘Architect of Panchayati Raj’.  Moving forward, Mehta would soon be the second elected Chief Minister of Gujarat, holding office from 25 February, 1963 to 19 September, 1965.

Truly a man of dedication and perseverance, ever since his youthful days till his death on 19 September 1965. Leaving behind an immortal legacy in the Panchayati Raj, Balwantrai Mehta will live on forever in fabric of history.

Balwantrai Mehta was born into a humble middle-class family on the 19th of February, 1900 in the state of Bhavnagar, British India. Since his adolescent days, at a time when the Free-India Movement had just begun to rear its head, Mehta enthusiastically joined the movement in 1920, fervently fighting back and resisting the colonial oppression.

At a time, when the protests weren't very widespread, it was much more difficult for the people to persist and there was hesitation in the air. Balwantrai Mehta who had almost finished his degree in Bachelor of Arts resolutely refused to accept a degree from the colonial government.

After making public his stance on the imperial powers present in pre-independence India, Mehta joined the national Non-Cooperation movement in 1920 and promptly threw himself heart, body, and soul into the battle for freedom. Later on, he would go on to actively participate in the Civil Disobedience movement from year 1930-1932. Never looking back, Mehta never hesitated in the fight and marched from the Satyagraha Movement in Nagpur to the Bardoli Satyagraha.

Balwantrai Mehta would spend a total of 7 long years in prison under the colonial government!

After Jawaharlal Nehru came into presidential power, Balwantrai Mehta was elected as the esteemed General secretary.

The milestone in his life came along when as the Chairman of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in 1957, he would institute the scheme of 'democratic decentralization' which finally came to be known as Panchayati Raj. A scheme that revolutionized welfare at the grassroots level. The committee submitted a report suggesting the building of the now famous 3-tier Panchayati Raj system, giving these legislative bodies complete control over planning and administration.

It was a brilliant move, one whose benefits are reaped even to this day!

Being one of the masterminds behind the Panchayati Raj system earned him the title of ‘Architect of Panchayati Raj’. Moving forward, Mehta would soon be the second elected Chief Minister of Gujarat, holding office from 25 February 1963 to 19 September 1965.

Truly a man of dedication and perseverance, ever since his youthful days till his death on 19 September 1965. Leaving behind an immortal legacy in the Panchayati Raj, Balwantrai Mehta will live on forever in the fabric of history.