Contemporary India and the Discourse of Social Justice: Examining the Colonial Legacy

Contemporary Indian society has witnessed a pervasiveness of claims for and debates about social justice with two enduring aspects to it: on the one hand, injustice and discrimination has become an overarching concern for political groups, activists and intellectuals alike, and on the other, concerns are raised about the deployment of these ideas resulting in social strife. Thus to the question why do we see a proliferation of social injustice claims, the answer given is a dual one indicating that injustice has gone unanswered, as well as deployment and illiberal use of the political norm has increased. Interestingly, this dual concern is reflected in many recent instances in the discussions on cultural practices such as santhara (sallekhana), cow protection, khap panchayat, made snana, to name a few. Although the reasons for this paradoxical assessment of instances of political mobilizations has rarely been examined in detail, the concerns have often lead to questions about the spread of the social justice ethos, including state and civil society's ability to encompass plural voices in democratic decision making.