ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 deals with the issues of participation and politics interface with an intention to unearth three issues. First, a comparative study of voters’ turnout and people’s participation in popular forum like Gram Sabha to show how the latter is falling to challenge the assumption that voters’ turnout reflects democratic spirit of the people. Second, a phenomenological analysis of Gram Sabha meetings to find out its dimensions and possible reasons for people’s disinterestedness. Third, an enhanced understanding of the further devolution of power through Gram Unnayan Samiti and reasons for its failure. Before mounting the analysis of data, this chapter emphasises the importance of hardcore qualitative methods in policy research. It offers a step-by-step procedure to use phenomenological methodology to explore the dynamics of power in the meeting discourse located in the production of space and analysis of the interaction components. Empirically, this chapter looks at the hallmark of LF-led decentralisation initiatives and its symbolic and structural interface with local politics through a longitudinal study for six consecutive years (2008 to 2013).
