English p3/7 - 2 Location and 3 need for promoting project

2.     Location of the Project:

The project location is Dindigul Region which becomes a center place for the state of Tamil Nadu,

South India

. The state of Tamil Nadu has the population of 6.4 crores and Dindigul district has the population of around 19,23,014 (Nineteen lakhs, twenty three thousand and fourteen) among which Male population is 9,68,137 and the Female 9,54,877. The Rural population is 12,49,762 and the Urban 6,73,252. Dindigul district was carved out of the composite

Madurai

district on 15.9.1985.

The occupation of Major number of people is agriculture, its allied coolie works, mill coolies, daily coolies at tanneries, tobacco units, Cigar units, lock industries coolies at Dindigul, the headquarters of the district. Many depend on sundry jobs by loading and unloading lorries at dindigul market places. As such Dindigul district is socially, economically and culturally most backward in all conditions. The awful living conditions have been worsened by the unprecedented drought borne conditions pervading the district consequent on the failure of monsoon successively for the past 15 years. The central Government has announced Dindigul district as undeveloped and drought borne area. The project coordinating office is in Anugraha-Trust, Nochildaipatty, Sanarpatty Union in Dindigul district. But the children parliaments are conducted all over dindigul region which includes not only the district but some areas from

Madurai

, Trichy where ever the net working NGOs labour for the same cause. The formation of children parliaments are done with all the children and youths irrespective of Religion, Caste, Social status.

3. Need for promoting the concept:

1. There is a deep urge and hunger among the people to participate in Direct Democracy than in the present system of representative and indirect Democracy.

2. In the representative democracy the people are active and given opportunity to participate just once in five years (one minute to vote for a person whom they do not know or not in acquaintance with). The people have to wait five years to have a change or alternative in any situation. Secondly the area or the constituency is very big for our “small men to handle”, the poor men’s voice can not be heard.

3. There is a sense of helplessness among the people. People feel cheated, pushed around, led down. They don’t know whom to approach and how to effectively get things done.

4. There is a sense of Alienation among the people. It is not just economical alienation but social-political and cultural where in one feels one is a nobody. Anything could happen to anybody in this world. They feel it is the world of big shots.

5. There is a sense of depersonalization. People feel they cannot afford to be persons because to be a person is to be counted, taken into account, taken seriously, to be consulted, to belong, to be integrated and to find one’s place as some one of worth. To be a person is also to be a giver and contributor, subject and agent rather than be an object and just be a recipient. To be a person is also to be a participant, participant in everything that affects one.

6. Growing loss of credibility of political parties. The political parties have become untrustworthy parties.

7. Loss of control over market forces which leads for poverty.

8. Loss of faith in Democracy itself. Many feel that Democracy is a wasteful exercise that ends up bringing power to the big and the rich leaving the rest weakened further and further.

9. Inadequacy of panchayat structures. Though panchayat system is the right direction towards decentralization and brings power distribution to the forums of lower level, it is not small enough for “small” people to handle as forums of participation.

10. Lack of adequate channels to ensure.

11. Disorientation among NGOs: The Non Governmental Humanitarian organizations develop a tendency to empower themselves rather than empower of people.

12. Over-dependence on bureaucrats: Since the decision makers are bureaucrats and politicians, people had to depend on them and become frustrated.

13. Monopolizing and alienating trends of the media.