NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday launched a social media campaign to spotlight the ‘Sarpanch Pati’ practice. Announcing the ‘Say No To Proxy Sarpanch” campaign, the ministry of panchayati raj (MoPR) said that it was aimed at giving more power to women sarpanches by calling upon citizens to join this movement, celebrate real Sarpanches and share what they feel about the “Sarpanch Pati Culture” in villages.Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the campaign – aimed at addressing the issue of proxy leadership in Gram Panchayats — was launched by MoPR in collaboration with all stakeholders of state panchayati raj departments and functionaries at panchayat level and will go on till March 18.“This social media campaign aims to raise nationwide awareness against the practice of proxy representation where elected women Sarpanches are sidelined while male relatives, commonly referred to as ‘Sarpanch Pati’ or ‘Pradhan Pati’, exercise authority in their name,” the ministry said.Through the campaign, the ministry seeks to identify and criticise proxy governance, and encourage communities to uphold the democratic authority of elected women representatives.By amplifying voices from villages and celebrating authentic grassroots leadership, the ministry is seeking to engage citizens in a nationwide discourse that not only sparks debate but also encourages a behavioural shift towards respecting the democratic mandate for women leaders in local governance.It is pertinent to point that to curb the practice of proxy participation of husbands and other male relatives often referred to as “Sarpanch patis”, “Mukhiya Patis” and “Pradhan Patis” in place of elected women ‘pradhans’ in gram panchayats, an advisory committee set up by the ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in its report last year suggested that “exemplary penalties” should be enforced for proven cases of proxy leadership.The committee had also suggested a robust reporting mechanism through helplines and women’s watchdog committee for confidential complaints about proxy leadership, with whistleblower rewards in verified cases.The report on “Transforming Women’s Representation and Roles in Panchayati Raj Systems and Institutions: Eliminating Efforts for Proxy Participation” submitted to the secretary of the ministry has recommended a detailed roadmap on the way forward with interventions ranging from behavioural change through capacity-building and mentorship, and establishing a monitoring framework from the grassroots to the top.The advisory committee was set-up by the ministry in September 2023 following the Supreme Court’s order of July on the issue. Besides research of available literature and extensive consultations with the state govts, the report was based on interactions of four intensive regional workshops involving 14 States.