Local Participatory Democracy: India’s Mendha-Lekha and New England’s Town Meetings

Local Participatory Democracy: India’s Mendha-Lekha and New England’s Town Meetings

Friday, October 16th, 2026 (3:30-5pm).

Thompson Hall Rm420 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst & on Zoom.

Join us for a screening and discussion of "Disha Swarajyachi" (Towards Self Governance) which explains how participatory governance works in the Indian village of Mendha-Lekha. Some topics the documentary focuses on include: the legal rights and associations between the public and the environment, women’s participation, majority and consensus voting, blending direct and representative democracy, youth engagement, and resistance to empire.

Dr. Milind Bokil, the academic lead for this documentary, will facilitate our discussion and answer questions. Dr. Bokil has written numerous books on participatory democracy and civil society in India. He is visiting the University of Massachusetts Amherst all the way from India as a part of his “De-Tocquevillian” tour of New England’s Town Meetings and welcomes discussion and questions comparing these two participatory deliberative governance institutions.

Any questions about the event can be directed to Sawyer Rogers: [email protected]. If you would like to join via Zoom or would like to receive updates on the event, please fill out this form before the morning of the event.