Inclusive Governance and Marginalized Communities in South Asia

Abstract

This book confronts a South Asian governance paradox: why progressive policies for inclusive local government systematically fail to empower marginalized communities. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Bangladesh’s Rajshahi district—where the authors surveyed Dalits and persons with disabilities, interviewed officials, and conducted community discussions—the study reveals “institutional tokenism” in participatory mechanisms like Ward Shavas and Open Budget Meetings. Although mandated by the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act 2009, these forums often function as staged performances where marginalized voices are recorded but not heard, consulted but not influential. The book identifies three intersecting barriers—elite capture, bureaucratic inefficiency, and symbolic violence—that transform inclusionary spaces into sites of exclusion. Employing participatory governance theory and deliberative democracy models, the analysis moves beyond counting attendance to assess whether marginalized groups can genuinely access, influence, and shape policy outcomes. The study extends comparatively across India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, revealing shared patterns of performative inclusion despite diverse institutional architectures. Rejecting technical solutions, the authors argue that meaningful inclusion requires fundamental power redistribution and institutional cultural transformation.