Dissecting Commons as an Equalizer: Caste as a Case

Sridevi, Gummadi and Prashanth, Dontha and Jyotishi, Amalendu and Mukherjee, Pampa (2025) Dissecting Commons as an Equalizer: Caste as a Case. Capitalism Nature Socialism, 36 (3). pp. 72-89. ISSN 1045-5752

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Abstract

The debate on tragedy of commons in India attributes the decline of commons governance entwined with the system of caste and the promulgation of post-colonial land reforms as reasons for the privatization and decline of commons. The literature invigorates the caste system as a harbinger of the conservation of commons promoting the prudent use of natural resources. As against the argument that caste as a traditional method of governance ensured the conservation of resources and commons, we argue that the exclusionary practices of caste restricting the use and control of resources for a few while enabling exclusion from labouring castes were aimed not at conservation, rather functioned as an instrument of coercion and subjugation over the communities that are deprived of access. We also counterpose the perceptions of a non-privatized nature of commons in the pre-colonial mode of governance of commons by tracing the traits of the process of privatization with the pre-colonial institution of caste, further making a case for democratization of commons across castes.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Sridevi, Gummadi and Prashanth, Dontha and Jyotishi, Amalendu and Mukherjee, Pampa
Document Language:	Language English
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Caste, commons, land, gender, exclusion, privatization, appropriation, conservation, India
Subjects:	Social sciences > Sociology & anthropology > Groups of people > People by social and economic levels > General principles of social classes > Principles of stratification > Caste systems Social sciences > Groups of people > People by social and economic levels > General principles of social classes > Principles of stratification > Caste systems Social sciences > Sociology & anthropology > Communities > Specific kinds of communities > Self-contained communities > Communes
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > School of Arts and Sciences
Full Text Status:	None
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/6745
Publisher URL:	https://www.tandfonline.com/

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