I’d like to start my article by congratulating my friend Vallabh Bhanshali for his various nation-building initiatives. I am happy to learn that an NGO that he set up, Desh Apnayen Sahayog Foundation, has completed 10 years, working silently and selflessly with the aim of creating better citizens for a stronger democracy.
For years, I believed passion and good intentions could transform India. I was wrong. Real change demands dismantling broken systems and rebuilding with ambition, courage, and integrity. Half-measures won’t cut it. India’s time is now.
From Activism to Systemic Overhaul
As an urban planner, I’ve worked with governments across the globe on city development. In 2003, I collaborated with Anna Hazare to draft Maharashtra’s Right to Information Act, a cornerstone of transparency. By 2011, I helped launch the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, igniting a firestorm of public hope. IAC wasn’t just a protest—it was a declaration: citizens are not mere voters but the heart of democracy, entitled to shape governance itself.
Yet, movements alone don’t fix broken systems. That realisation led to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). While AAP tasted success, I saw power often trumped principle. Governance without integrity is a hollow victory. Leadership without character, empathy, or accountability is a betrayal.
Mahatma Gandhi’s book ‘My Experiments with Truth’ shaped my resolve. His raw honesty, courage, and willingness to own his flaws showed me what true leadership demands. Power must serve purpose, not ego.
Confronting Crisis in Marathwada
Disillusioned by politics, I sold my Mumbai home and moved to Beed, Marathwada—a region ravaged by droughts, farmer suicides, and despair. What I saw shattered me. Irrigation in Parli taluka was a measly 1.72%, compared to India’s 40% average. Farmers scraped by on Rs.3,500 a month. Many children had never tasted milk. Yet, their resilience burned bright.
The crisis wasn’t a one-off—it was systemic. Band-aid solutions like loan waivers or temporary aid were futile. I founded the Global Vikas Trust in 2016, focusing on irrigation, sustainable farming, and planting over 541 million trees across 4,600 villages in three states. The result? Farmer incomes in some areas soared tenfold. Real change starts at the roots.
Why Quick Fixes Fail
Superficial reforms are like driving a car with a warped chassis—no matter the driver’s skill, it veers off course. India’s challenges—corruption, inequality, inefficiency—stem from flawed systems. Some tout judicial reform as the cure for corruption. Others bet on education or administrative tweaks. But in a democracy, the political process is the linchpin. Weak leadership breeds weak outcomes. A robust electoral system is the foundation of a strong nation.
Take representation: rural India’s Panchayati Raj gives one elected official per 425 people. In Mumbai, one municipal corporator serves over 55,000. Urban democracy, in that sense, is 110 times more distant. Overlapping authorities—Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC)—create a maze of bureaucracy, ripe for corruption and unaccountability. Digital platforms for civic complaints exist, but without political will, they’re toothless.
The Power of Active Citizenship
Democracy dies when citizens disengage. India’s future hinges on us—Alert, Informed, and Active Citizens, or ACTiZENS. We must demand accountability, scrutinise policies, and track public funds. This work is gruelling, slow, and often thankless. But transformation doesn’t come from apathy—it comes from relentless engagement with the systems that shape our lives.
India can wait no more. The era of passive citizenship is dead. Rise as ACTiZENS.
Put the nation first. The time for systemic revolution is now.
Mr. Mayank Gandhi is the founder and chief trustee of Global Vikas Trust, which works on rural transformation.