Challenging Inequality and Envisioning Development: Dalit Visions of Development in India

The present paper investigates how state-led ‘development’ and neoliberal globalisation are institutionalising and reinforcing inequality and violence, structural as well as epistemic; highlighting the Dalit struggles and quest for justice against the socio-cultural and political system in Maharashtra state of India. The paper critically uses Arturo Escobar’s thoughts on development. It implies how distinguished people or ideas are systematically situated for discriminatory and restrictive practices in the development agenda based on the reasoning of established hegemonic power structures. Through the distinct and inclusionary conceptions development agenda, social and economic; has the core values of justice, fairness and dignity. Through collective action and movements, Dalits in Maharashtra have reflected a greater and global movement against inequality, injustice and violence.

The present study draws from the analysis of the major social transformations in socio-cultural as well as political and economic paradigms in Maharashtra since 1991. The study is qualitative and uses both primary and secondary sources of data such as case studies of major Dalit protests and movements, semi-structured interviews of Dalit activists and leaders, civil society representatives, scholars and existing literature on the topic such as scholarly works, media coverage, government documents and reports.

The paper argues that the development discourse in India and Maharashtra particularly is exclusionary and has the hegemonic values of the dominant group ideology of development. But, the Dalit struggles and quest for a just and equitable society has been constructing a counter ideology of development that is inclusive, equitable, fair and just. It also contributes to the global resistance to the hegemonic and exclusionary ideas of development and emphasises on crucial role of marginalised people’s agency to create just futures and provide a critical perspective on alternative development trajectories in the Anthropocene.