The people's planning campaign in Kerala, India is a mass movement to empower local bodies, to prepare plans for comprehensive local development, and to create an environment for radical institutional reforms. Local Democracy and Developement gives the inside story of this unique experiment in democratic decentralization that has attracted attention all over the world. Expertly combining theoretical analysis with empirical research, the book will be of interest to planners, economists, administrators, social activists, and all those fighting for the creation of a truly democratic India.