The Politics of Inclusion: Dalit Movements and State Institutions in Eastern India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm2024.v04.n01.021Keywords:
Dalit Movements, Politics of Inclusion, State Institutions, Grassroots Mobilization, Political Representation, Recognition, Resistance, Eastern IndiaAbstract
Eastern India's inclusion politics are examined through Dalit movements' dynamic connection with governmental institutions. It maintains that inclusion is a lived process impacted by historical exclusion, political mobilization, and institutional practices, not a constitutional outcome. The essay begins by tracking Dalit political consciousness from caste-based marginalization to organized resistance and identity assertion. It then examines how grassroots mobilization has turned this consciousness into collective political action, illustrating how local fights for dignity, resources, and rights have increased democratic involvement. The paper also critically examines state institutions, showing that while reservations and political representation provide formal avenues for inclusion, structural inequalities and bureaucratic constraints limit their impact. The paper examines the interconnectedness of recognition, representation, and resistance, concluding that real inclusion involves symbolic acknowledgment, substantive empowerment, and resource transfer. Using eastern India's distinct caste and class dynamics, the article provides a deeper view of Dalit politics outside popular narratives. It concludes that marginalized communities and the state negotiate the politics of inclusion, where grassroots movements reshape democracy.
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