Democratisation and Inequality

Democratisation and Inequality

Democratisation is not easy in a society that has had a long history of inequality based on caste, community, and gender. You have already studied the different kinds of inequality in the earlier book. In Chapter 4, you will get a fuller sense of rural Indian structure.

Given this unequal and undemocratic social structure, it is not surprising that in many villages, certain members belonging to particular groups, communities, or castes are not included or even informed about meetings and activities of the village. The Gram Sabha — the body of all adult villagers — is meant to be the foundation of local democracy. But in practice, its members are often controlled by a small coterie of rich landlords, usually from the upper castes or landed peasantry.

This small group makes decisions on development activities and allocates funds, leaving the silent majority as mere onlookers. The formal structure of democratic institutions exists, but the deep-rooted social inequalities prevent them from functioning democratically. The result is that the voices of the poor, the lower castes, and women are systematically excluded from the very processes that are supposed to empower them.