Which of the following arguments expresses the anxiety about the possible failure of Panchayati Raj governance in India?

Local elites and upper castes were so well entrenched in society that local self-government would lead to continuing exploitation of the downtrodden.

The correct answer is Option (2) → Local elites and upper castes were so well entrenched in society that local self-government would lead to continuing exploitation of the downtrodden.

"When the constitution was being drafted, panchayats did not find a mention in it. At this juncture, a number of members expressed their sorrow, anger and disappointment over this issue. At the same time, drawing on his own rural experience, Dr. Ambedkar argued that local elites and upper castes were so well entrenched in society that local self government only meant a continuing exploitation of the downtrodden masses of Indian society. The upper castes would no doubt silence this segment of the population further. The concept of local government was dear to Gandhiji too. He envisaged The three-tier system of Panchayati Raj Institution. The structure is like a pyramid. At the base of the structure stands the unit of democracy or Gram Sabha. This consists of the entire body of citizens in a village or grama. It is this general body that elects the local government and charges it with specific responsibilities. The Gram Sabhas ideally ought to provide an open forum for discussions and village-level development activities and play a crucial role in ensuring inclusion of the weaker sections in the decision-making processes. each village as a self-sufficient unit conducting its own affairs and saw gram-swarajya to be an ideal model to be continued after independence..."