Justice and Sustainability in Indian Democracy

Offering a unique examination of India’s democratic political system by using the dual premises of justice and sustainability, this book argues that India's democratic trajectory – and the sustainability of democratic governance – depends on its capacity to deliver social, economic, and ecological justice to all citizens.

India has a sustained record of democracy, unparalleled among postcolonial democracies, and is counted among the five largest economies in the world. Such successes, however, have been tempered by issues of inequity, resource depletion, and climate-induced displacement. Against this backdrop, the book posits that a mere procedural understanding of democracy is increasingly inadequate to address the challenges of growing inequality or climate disruption in India. The chapters in the volume explore how parties, identity politics, gender, education, economic and foreign policies intersect with justice and sustainable goals, challenging technocratic accounts of sustainability that detach environment from society. In doing so, the book ultimately provides a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced, and strengths needed, to stabilize India’s democratic present, and to ensure its just and sustainable future.

Ultimately through its exploration of the conceptual nexus between democracy, justice, and sustainability, this book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students in the fields of South Asian politics, environmental politics, and studies of India, as well those interested in issues of democracy, justice, and sustainability more broadly.