CHENNAI: The strategy to mobilise civil society involves sensitizing the youth and helping the rural population join the mainstream, says B S Raghavan, former adviser to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Delivering the Dr V C Kulandaiswamy Endowment Lecture at Anna University on Wednesday, he underscored the need for preserving the sanctity of the four prime movers of democracy -- the will of the people, government with the consent of the governed, rule of law and equality before law.

Raghavan cited a few examples of civil society action - the nationwide movement led by Medha Patekar under Narmada Bachao Aandolan, the campaign by Mazdoor Kisan Seva Sangathan for making the Right to Information a reality, the efforts by Association for Democratic Reforms to make it mandatory for the electoral candidates to disclose their antecedents and assets and the mediation between the naxalites and government as a result of the work done by the Committee of Concerned Citizens of Andhra Pradesh.

He highlighted that 43 million young people entered the voting rolls and it was up to them to push the country towards clean politics and good governance.