Politics of articulation mediating structures and voluntarism: from 'chauraha' to 'chaupal'

Abstract

There is a considerable concern in India about the 'silence' of a large number of disadvantaged groups who have either learned to be helpless or articulate their problems rather feebly. The nature of articulation, mediating structures or platforms for dialogue or negotiation be it political channels or voluntary arenas have to analysed as a basis of alienation of masses from the state. Emergence of the social movements encompassing ecological struggles particularly in backward regions indicates the limits of the patience of the poor disadvantaged people. One can hypothesize that NGOs emerged or became stronger when the political channels got partly choked so that people could neither remodel the nature of their representation nor communicate with/through state bureaucracy. The transition in mediating structures has been studies through five metaphors i.e. from counter to corridor; corridor to courts; courts to 'Chaurahas' (cross roads); 'Chaurahas' to Char diwaris' (four walls) and finally from 'Char diwaris to 'Chaupal' as a future solution.