Towards a Unified Approach of Social Justice: Merging Tradition and Modernity in Public Policy Making in India
This paper explores the social and political imperatives in the sphere of public policy relating to social justice. In India, the colonial legacy and post-colonial social and political pressures sustained the appropriation of 'caste' category in allocating public resources to the backward class of citizens. For several reasons, 'economic' category could not be placed in allocating resources. This paper examines the reasons behind the deliberative exercises and formulating policies and seeks an alternative framework in realizing social justice in terms of a unified category. This attempt can be viewed as a reconciliation of traditional and modern values for a viable alternative in public policy making.
[1] R. Caldwell, A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-
Indian Family of Languages, London: Harrison, 1998; P.
Rajaraman, The Justice Party: A Historical Perspective 1916-37,
Madras: Poompzhil Publishers, 1988; M.R. Barnett, The Politics of
Cultural Nationalism, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976;
Nambi Aarooran, Tamil Renaissance and Dravidian Nationalism,
1916-1944, Madurai: Koodal Publishers, 1980; A.N. Sattanathan,
"The Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu and its legacy," lectures
delivered at the University of Madras in 1981.
[2] E.F. Irachick, Politics and social conflicts in south India: The Non-
Brahmin movement and Tamil Separatism, 1916-1929, Oxford
University Press, 1969.
[3] R.L. Hardgrave, Jr. The Dravidian Movement, Bombay: Popular
Prakashan, 1965.
[4] S. Chandran, Tamizhaga Arasiyal, Chennai: Bharathi
Puthakalayam, 2001
[5] These castes were Agamudayan/ Thuluva Vellalars; Devanga/
Sedan; Gavara; Illuvan/Ezhuvan/ Illathar; Kaikolan/Sengunthar;
Sadhu Chetty; Saurashtra; Vadugan; and Virakodi Vellala
[6] Report of the (Second) Backward class commission, Government
of Tamil Nadu, 1984.
[7] L. Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus: The Caste System and Its
Implications, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1988; G.S. Ghurye,
Caste and Race in India, Bombay: Popular Prakashan, 1964; J.H.
Hutton, Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origin, Bombay:
Oxford University Press, 1961.
[8] R. Kothari, ed. Caste in Indian Politics, Delhi: Orient Longman,
1970; M.N. Srinivas, Caste in Modern India, Bombay: Asia
Publishing House, 1964.
[9] Marc Galanter, Competing Equalities: Law and the Backward
Classes in India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1984; A.
Beteille, The Backward Classes in Contemporary India, Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 1992; G. Mahajan, Democracy,
Difference and Social Justice, Delhi: Oxford University Press,
1998; P. Radhakrishnan, P. "Backward Class Movements in Tamil
Nadu," in M.N. Srinivas ed. Caste: Its Twentieth Century Avatar,
Delhi: Viking, 1996.
[10] S. Chandran, Indhya Arasiyal, Bharathi Puthakalayam, Chennai,
2003.
[1] R. Caldwell, A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-
Indian Family of Languages, London: Harrison, 1998; P.
Rajaraman, The Justice Party: A Historical Perspective 1916-37,
Madras: Poompzhil Publishers, 1988; M.R. Barnett, The Politics of
Cultural Nationalism, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976;
Nambi Aarooran, Tamil Renaissance and Dravidian Nationalism,
1916-1944, Madurai: Koodal Publishers, 1980; A.N. Sattanathan,
"The Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu and its legacy," lectures
delivered at the University of Madras in 1981.
[2] E.F. Irachick, Politics and social conflicts in south India: The Non-
Brahmin movement and Tamil Separatism, 1916-1929, Oxford
University Press, 1969.
[3] R.L. Hardgrave, Jr. The Dravidian Movement, Bombay: Popular
Prakashan, 1965.
[4] S. Chandran, Tamizhaga Arasiyal, Chennai: Bharathi
Puthakalayam, 2001
[5] These castes were Agamudayan/ Thuluva Vellalars; Devanga/
Sedan; Gavara; Illuvan/Ezhuvan/ Illathar; Kaikolan/Sengunthar;
Sadhu Chetty; Saurashtra; Vadugan; and Virakodi Vellala
[6] Report of the (Second) Backward class commission, Government
of Tamil Nadu, 1984.
[7] L. Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus: The Caste System and Its
Implications, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1988; G.S. Ghurye,
Caste and Race in India, Bombay: Popular Prakashan, 1964; J.H.
Hutton, Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origin, Bombay:
Oxford University Press, 1961.
[8] R. Kothari, ed. Caste in Indian Politics, Delhi: Orient Longman,
1970; M.N. Srinivas, Caste in Modern India, Bombay: Asia
Publishing House, 1964.
[9] Marc Galanter, Competing Equalities: Law and the Backward
Classes in India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1984; A.
Beteille, The Backward Classes in Contemporary India, Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 1992; G. Mahajan, Democracy,
Difference and Social Justice, Delhi: Oxford University Press,
1998; P. Radhakrishnan, P. "Backward Class Movements in Tamil
Nadu," in M.N. Srinivas ed. Caste: Its Twentieth Century Avatar,
Delhi: Viking, 1996.
[10] S. Chandran, Indhya Arasiyal, Bharathi Puthakalayam, Chennai,
2003.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:60068", author = "Subramaniam Chandran", title = "Towards a Unified Approach of Social Justice: Merging Tradition and Modernity in Public Policy Making in India", abstract = "This paper explores the social and political imperatives in the sphere of public policy relating to social justice. In India, the colonial legacy and post-colonial social and political pressures sustained the appropriation of 'caste' category in allocating public resources to the backward class of citizens. For several reasons, 'economic' category could not be placed in allocating resources. This paper examines the reasons behind the deliberative exercises and formulating policies and seeks an alternative framework in realizing social justice in terms of a unified category. This attempt can be viewed as a reconciliation of traditional and modern values for a viable alternative in public policy making.
", keywords = "Social justice, caste, public policy, communal
quota", volume = "5", number = "5", pages = "694-5", }
