AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking in India) is a response to the anger and helplessness felt by ordinary people in Mumbai over their living conditions, which are worse every day. Virtually every problem can be traced to the way the city is run by its politicians and administrators. Therefore, it is the city's governance that must change. AGNI tries to bring people together to bring that about. In four years from April 1999, it has grown from a handful of persons into a network of organizations with memberships that total a few lakh people.

WHAT IS AGNI?

AGNI is a voluntary movement. It is non-political and non-sectarian. It networks citizen groups so as to create the democratic "numbers" that no political system can easily ignore. It works with government agencies for transparency and accountability in them. Each organization in the AGNI network maintains its own goals, character, structure and activities. AGNI promotes communication among them and collective assertion by them vis-à-vis political and administrative authorities.

HOW IS IT RUN?
• Board of Trustees - AGNI is a charitable trust managed by a Board of seven trustees.
  Its Chairman is Mr. B. G. Deshmukh, former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India.
  Its role is to manage the assets and finances of the Trust and frame broad policy.
• Steering Committee - It plans and executes operations within policy framed
  by the Trust. It is led by the Chairman or, in his absence, the Vice-Chairman,
  Mr. D. M. Sukthankar, former Chief Secretary, Maharashtra. It comprises some
  Trustees and Ward, Media and Office Coordinators.
• AGNI JAAGs - The basic field unit of AGNI in a Ward is a JAAG (Joint Area Action
  Group), which comprises the Ward Coordinator and Co-coordinator
  and volunteers representing areas or activities. JAAGs fix local priorities, raise
  resources, run activities and are the interactive channels between citizens,
  administrative set-ups and elected representatives. A "Committee of Coordinators"
  meets monthly.

The city is served by 24 municipal Wards. There is an AGNI JAAG in most of them. Centrally and through the JAAGs, citizens are empowered by the right information and helped to organise. The groups then act and dialogue with administrative and elected authorities. The emphasis is on creating and extending self-help networks.

COMMUNICATIONS

AGNI's objectives and tasks require it to cast its net wide. The press, FM radio and television are employed to inspire and direct well-disposed citizens who may be potential volunteers in the cause of their neighbourhood and city. AGNI has launched a website (www.agnimumbai.org). This has been designed and is constantly updated with the help of Rediff.com, a major Internet portal with over a million registered subscribers in Mumbai alone. The website offers service and information on electoral rolls and election practice, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), police and the citizen's right to information (how to apply and where), among other things.

RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT

In recognition of its work to spread awareness of, and otherwise promote, better governance in the city and to improve quality of life here, AGNI was awarded the prestigious Fr. Maschio Memorial Award for the year 2001. Other honors have come from many organisations and the media, for instance the Shramdaan Award of The Indian Architect and Builder. It was given to AGNI for "connecting and synergising forces from all over the city to address issues affecting the urban fabric of Mumbai".

True recognition, of course, lies in the rising expectations among citizens of their elected representatives and the administration as a result of AGNI activities. Citizens are today organizing themselves better and more widely. They are also less likely to suffer in silence when there is abuse of law and regulations by elected representatives and official agencies.

Although AGNI came into being as recently as 1999, it is widely known in the city and has done a lot to revive hopes of a better deal for citizens.

Go to top