SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND THE STATE IN INDIA: Deepening Democracy?

Book Details

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

• Author: Kenneth Bo Nielsen • Alf Gunvald Nilsen (Eds)

• Language: English

• Edition: 2023

• ISBN: 9781349960675

• Pages: 312

• Cover: Hardcover

About the Book

This thought-provoking volume delves into the evolving role of social movements in strengthening democracy in India, with a special focus on how such movements empower subaltern communities to resist marginalization, stigma, and exploitation. It critically explores how grassroots activism across domains such as gender, caste, class, and rights-based legislation fosters democratic deepening in an era of neoliberal reforms and uneven development.

Featuring contributions from an array of emerging and seasoned international scholars, the book presents in-depth empirical case studies of protest movements across India. These include the politics of caste in Bihar, feminist movements, labor mobilizations, Right to Information advocacy, and struggles over land and agrarian reform. The narrative engages with the contradictory impulses of state formation and democratic participation, providing a rich context for understanding the challenges and possibilities of democratizing Indian democracy.

By weaving together these diverse case studies, the editors construct a compelling analysis of the interplay between state policy, grassroots mobilization, and democratic aspiration. This book is a vital resource for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in sociology, political science, development studies, and South Asian affairs.

Contents Overview

1. Introduction: Social Movements, State Formation, and Democracy in India

2. The Rise of Neoliberalism and Developmental Contradictions

3. Caste Politics and Democratic Deepening in Bihar

4. Transnational Dalit Feminist Engagements

5. Feminist Movements and Democratic Transformation

6. Women’s Labor and the Right to Work in Madhya Pradesh

7. Reinterpreting the Right to Information Act

8. Implementation of Rights-Based Legislation in Orissa

9. Corporate Influence, State Policy, and Labor Mobilization

10. Class Strategy and Movement Challenges

11. Maoist Mobilization and Agrarian Change in Telangana

12. Conclusion: Reflections on Democracy and Resistance

About the Editors

Kenneth Bo Nielsen is an anthropologist with the Department of Sociology, University of Bergen, Norway, and coordinates the Norwegian Network for Asian Studies. His research focuses on land dispossession and social movements in India.

Alf Gunvald Nilsen is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Bergen and Senior Visiting Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He specializes in studying social movements in the global South, particularly in India.