Edit: Proactive people are Pune’s pride

Social progressivism and civic activism are alive and kicking in Pune: indeed these have spawned greater awareness, participation in and critical appraisal of our way of life, livelihood and local governance. Civic awareness, alacrity and activism are now emerging as the fifth pillar of open, participatory and accountable democracy in the city.

Activists of all shades and convictions have helped prevent bureaucrats and politicians from bulldozing their way through and burdening the exchequer with hare-brained schemes and projects. Acting as the eyes and ears of citizens, they have managed a modicum of checks and balances in the often autocratic functioning of our self-serving babus, partisan nagarsevaks and interfering mantris.

There are bound to be black sheep among even watchdogs. But by and large the activists and their NGOs have striven to bring about people’s participation in civic administration and given them a say in policy formation. Most importantly, they have managed to put the fear of accountability into the hearts of both civil servants and elected representatives.

With elections to the municipal corporations of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad looming over the horizon, citizens will have to decide whether political parties and their incumbent corporators have paid heed to their aspirations in full measure, or in the appropriate manner.

With some NGOs coming together to offer a panel of non-partisan candidates for the upcoming polls, Puneites will have a wider choice of aspirants to represent them in the PMC and PCMC. This is an opportune time for citizens to make their aspirations and concerns clear, by participating in public discourses on what ails our cities, where lie the solutions, and who would best be suited to implement them.