People's participation: a note on four case studies from India

Factors favourable to people's participation in community activities are highlighted with four case studies from the grassroots in India. It is argued that dependency on the government often exceeds what it is able to offer, and that a new culture needs to be inculcated wherein people take initiatives that are supported, whenever required, by external bodies such as government agencies and NGOs. Such collective action must come from the bottom-up.