Routledge Marginalized Communities and Decentralized Institutions in India: An Exclusion and Inclusion Perspective

This book examines the causes and consequences of marginalization of social groups and the state of democratic decentralization in India in the unfolding context of globalization and changing perspectives of development models and institutions. The first of its kind, it correlates macro-and micro-level issues to understand social exclusion and inclusion and the level of participation of democratic institutions at the grassroots level since economic liberalization (1991) and the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act of 1992, marking three decades since granting constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institutions. The study looks at the linkages between certain key themes: the neoliberal model of development, growth, and distributive justice; the role and mandate of grassroots-level public institutions enshrined in the Constitution, inclusive growth, and the Indian State; the role of political executives from marginalized communities; factors involved in people’s active participation in the development process; and challenges in current political structures, inclusion of marginalized communities in governance and development, and real empowerment of local bodies and institutions. The book argues that legislative enactments, constitutional status, reservation of seats to marginalized communities, and so on can only empower local bodies and their leadership symbolically. The success of these provisions depends on the overall development model of the country; the support of national and state governments; the socio-economic and political environment of the institutions; and effective service and accountability. Topical and rich in empirical data, including case studies, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of political science, development studies, governance, public administration, sociology, public policy, and also for government agencies, administrators and bureaucrats, policymakers, international organizations, think tanks, and NGOs working in the area.   Review "The critical importance of grassroots-level democratic institutions has long been recognized in Indian law-making. But, as this pertinent study confirms, mere words of intention or symbolism are not enough to secure meaningful inclusion and participation. Current supposedly holistic development thinking in the globalized age, together with the strong presence of centralized nation states, risks overlooking the strengths of, and the absolute need for, solid local roots. It is fascinating to find convincing evidence in this study that inclusive growth for marginalized communities needs to be managed from the bottom up, not in classic top-down fashion. Grass-level institutions without roots are clearly not sustainable, so yet deeper local activism is clearly needed. This is an important study, relevant well beyond its specific local context." Werner Menski, UK Jurist of the Year 2009 and Emeritus Professor of South Asian Laws, School of Law, SOAS University of London, UK "Professor Bala Ramulu, well-experienced researcher in rural studies, deserves appreciation for contributing to better understanding of structural and behavioral issues in the development of marginalized sections in rural India. This is a refreshing empirical study of the socio-political dynamics of decentralized institutions for inclusive development in rural India, critically examined in the background of post-structural polity and development models." V. S. Prasad, Professor and Former Director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bengaluru, India "This book deals with certain important aspects of India’s journey on path of democracy and development. With its central focus on the inclusion of the marginalized communities in the developmental process through grass-root participatory institutions, the book maps Indian experience with it through the two periods of pre-liberalization and post-liberalization phases of the post-colonial hist