The good governance agenda for decentralization in Uttarakhand, India: implications for social justice

Abstract

This thesis explores the link between social justice and decentralization at the theoretical and empirical level. The central argument is that decentralization as prescribed by the good governance agenda has compromised the constitutional guarantees of social justice in India. Initially, the thesis provides a detailed analysis of good governance, comparing the viewpoints of proponents and critics. It is initially analyzed, in detail, from the point of views of its claims and critiques. The implementation of decentralization is discussed in relation to its good governance rationale and principles of social justice.

Critiques from various schools of thought shed light on the controversies and potential for change emerging out of the current approach. The empirical analysis is based upon field data collected from eight villages in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Two types of decentralization policies are examined: Panchayati Raj (village governance) and Van Panchayat (forest governance). Both policies are essential to understand how social justice plays at many levels on the grassroots reality: livelihood, self-governance, participation and market pressures. The final discussion establishes the link between empirical evidence and the central argument along with a possible alternative approach for implementing decentralization, namely the Ghandian model of Village Swaraj.