DYNAMICS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF RURAL LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY OF TWO BLOCKS IN DISTRICT SHIMLA OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

The present chapter is an enquiry into the socio-economic background of rural leadership in the post-73rd Amendment Act, 1992, period. In this paper, the efforts have been made to examine the ground reality about emerging new leadership and its patterns. The major determinants of leadership and their socio-economic background i.e. age, caste, occupation, education, income level, social status, gender and party politics etc., have been critically analysed. The study area of present study has been selected in two blocks of District Shimla in Himachal Himalaya. The people of the whole Himalayan region shares common socio-cultural, historical, geographical, economic and political constraints and opportunities. Thus, the grassroots leadershippstternsare shaped by similar kind of determinants of leadership. The study reveals that the new leadership is more educated, quite young and come form middle poor class of the society. At the same time, 73rd Amendment Act has provided better opportunities to women, Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribe leadership to ensure their participation in the rural power structure. Study further explores that the dominance of caste, male, class and feudalistic nature of society etc., is still constraint in the development of PRIs leadership and its peripheral development.