ABSTRACT
Kerala’s unique journey towards establishing functional Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) is worth examination, with a focus on its rapid decentralisation efforts in the post-73rd Amendment period. Despite Kerala’s legacy of public action and political awareness, the establishment of strong local governments occurred only recently, spearheaded by two successive governments from different political coalitions in 1995–1996.
The literacy movement of the late 1980s and the International Kerala Studies Congress in the mid-1990s provided crucial socio-political momentum for decentralisation. Notably, the Kalliassery Village Panchayat served as an early model of participatory planning, supported by the Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishath (KSSP) and validated by the Centre for Development Studies. The convergence of constitutional, political, and intellectual forces culminated in a People’s Plan, marking a significant governance reform.
The role of Kerala’s political and intellectual networks in sustaining the reform receives special attention. For they are transforming an initial political decision into a robust, enduring system of local governance that has adapted to political transitions.
