Bottom-up approaches to decentralisation: the people's campaign in Kerala

Decentralisation and institutionalised participation have tended to occupy different conceptual spheres in development theory. This paper seeks to redress this by exploring the possibility of a 'bottom-up' approach to decentralisation. In examining whether decentralisation strategies can be a means to enhance people's participation in development, the author takes both a theoretical and a practical approach. Firstly, some of the theoretical issues of decentralisation, participation local institution building are explored. Subsequently, a unique example of people-centred development, the People's Planning Campaign in Kerala, South India, is provided. It is concluded that both theories of decentralisation need to be expanded and that theoretical considerations need to be moderated by practical concerns.