Politics of Development in Bundelkhand Region of Northern India: Analysing Role of (Un)Civil Society

Abstract

This study is an attempt to understand how development politics followed by the civil society organisations (CSOs) (with special reference to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in India can be analysed in view of the social character of such organisations. The findings of this study are based on field work conducted in the northern Indian region of Bundelkhand. Bundelkhand is an economically underdeveloped, poverty ridden and draught-prone region located in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Madhya Pradesh (MP). The region suffers from deep-rooted social hierarchies and discrimination based on caste. Prevalence of such conditions of underdevelopment has also resulted in the emergence of vibrant CSOs in the region. However, the developmental agenda pursued by these organisations is largely confined to the questions of economic development including poverty alleviation, distribution of benefits of various state policies or raising concerns of depletion of natural resources especially of water scarcity. Larger structural questions of social justice, inclusion or participation of socially marginalised groups, especially of the scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST), have not received adequate attention in the agenda of most of these organisations. This study attempts to argue that what can explain this non-political nature of developmental agenda pursued by these CSOs is the social character of their leadership. A major reason behind the question of representation of social marginalised groups not being the core agenda of development is the continued dominance of social and economically dominant castes in managing these organisations. Though these groups do raise concerns of social equality and justice, it does not form the core agenda of development of the region. The state machinery or international aid agencies continue to work with the dominant sections as the agenda setters, while the representatives of marginalised communities continue to function at the margins of developmental agenda for the region.