During the decade since Rio ’92, liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation have brought in some semblance of prosperity amongst the upper income groups in third world nations. The urban and rural poor and their environment are however getting further degraded. Increasing consumption of resources, especially energy, by rich nations is damaging the earth’s life support systems. Environmental disasters such as floods and draughts have, because of loss of forest cover, become a recurring feature in many third world nations, notably India.

Faulty institutions of governance are at the root of such degradation. Though democracy is now universally recognised as the only vehicle for sustainability, it is neither properly defined, nor correctly practised. Further, while socialism has been discarded as being wasteful and inefficient, the shortcomings of capitalism are being overlooked. In fact, globalisation is tending to glorify and magnify them. Such misdirection is the fallout of sidelining Gandhi’s vision of sustainability by vested interests.

It is imperative that for effectively dealing with the concerns expressed in Rio ’92 that have now become more serious, we take a hard look at our institutions of governance. Four key initiatives, already widely called for at Rio, are urgently needed in every nation state, developed and developing:

Universal Democracy defined and instituted such that the sovereign people retain resources at the local level to handle all local matters and devolve a portion, say, one-sixth of local revenues to the state and national governments for higher level functions and coordination. To prevent abuse, they institute their sovereign rights to information, consultation, participation and referendum;

Egalitarian Economic System, truly capitalism with a human face, in which all have equal social, economic and political rights and opportunities, nurtured through true grassroots empowerment;

Sovereign Rights Commissions with authority to direct referendums except on issues fundamental to democracy or the integrity of the nation, instituted in every nation-state. Better than the royal priest of bygone days, more like Gandhi, such commissions will function as the conscience keeper of the state based on the values of the society as a whole; and

Councils for Sustainable Society comprised of multi-stakeholders as recommended by Rio ‘92, instituted as the Upper House of parliaments at local, state and national levels to resolve conflicts of interest and moderate decision making for sustainability. q