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Restoring the promises of transparency and the rule of law in India

Namati Board Member Pratap Bhanu Mehta is a syndicated columnist for The Indian Express.  In the two articles below, Mehta calls for a renewed promise of a democratic state protected by the rule of law, and for effective and transparent institutions to promote individual and community rights.

The Year of the LawIn his inaugural 2013 column, Mehta urges a reorientation of citizenship and respect for the rule of law, defined by mutual respect and protection of rights for all.  Without a societal commitment to social justice and a protection of rights, the law remains an arbitrary instrument of domination and manipulation.

Quick Fix Failures:  Mehta critiques the Indian government’s tendency to furnish short term solutions to multi-faceted problems facing the country.  He cites empirical research by Manju Menon and Kanchi Kohli, who lead Namati’s Environmental Justice program in India, which reveals that securing environmental impact assessments is not the main problem with natural resource administration. Rather, he argues, the government lacks adequate technical and administrative capability to effectively regulate environmental projects.  Mehta calls for an end to quick fix solutions in India, which only succeed in offering temporary answers to long-term problems.


January 26, 2013 | Namati


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