GRASSROOTS JUSTICE AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE: A STUDY OF THE ROLE OF PANCHAYATS IN MEDIATION IN SONIPAT DISTRICT

Abstract

The Panchayat institution represents a resilient matrix of local self-governance and conflict resolution in rural India. Contemporary scholarship increasingly recognises Panchayat-driven mediation as a pragmatic pathway that channels customary authority into structured alternative dispute resolution (ADR) frameworks, alleviating court congestion and widening the reach of legal redress. Grounded in constitutional decentralisation and enriched by centuries of village-level jurisprudence, this article situates Panchayat mediation within modern access-to-justice debates, clarifies its research agenda, and maps the methodological scaffolding that underpins subsequent analysis. This article examines the ground reality of the existing Panchayat regime in the district of Sonipat, Haryana, to analyse the efficacy of the existing regime and the motivations that drive individuals to seek recourse to the court system. This article aims to provide suggestions that help the panchayat system and the Indian courts complement and supplement each other effectively.