India’s political reservation system for marginalised groups is a prime example of protective discrimination and institutional inclusiveness to help the ordinary become politically empowered, says right group, Oxfam, in its latest report.
Making a case for building ‘the power of the many’, Oxfam said ordinary people become powerful in a political system where political, institutional, and social conditions increase their capacity to influence decision-making despite structural inequality.
“This happens when institutional inclusiveness, political incentives for responsiveness, collective organisation, effective governance and ideological commitments align,” it said in its report, titled, ‘Resisting the Rule of the Rich: Protecting Freedom from Billionaire Power’, which was released at Davos on the first day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
The group’s annual inequality report also flagged billionaires usurping the political landscape globally, saying they are 4,000 times more likely to hold political office than ordinary citizens.
Citing India’s “compelling” case of progress made at the grassroots level, the report said the country provides reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribess, as well as a few other sections, in legislatures, as per their population, while it has recently also announced 33 per cent for women. In addition to these categories, there are reservations for other weaker and marginalised groups as well in education and government jobs.
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“In India, for example, political reservations (quotas) for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other marginalised groups create opportunities for economically disadvantaged and socially excluded communities to gain legislative representation and push redistributive policies,” Oxfam said.
Non-state actors such as CSOs, grassroots movements and trade unions are natural allies of states in building greater political engagement from under-represented communities, the report further said, adding that they can ensure access for all to meaningful participation in policymaking.
The group also cited the example of Brazil’s Participatory Budgeting that emerged in the 1990s and saw significant expansion during the 2000s.
“Its most prominent example was the city of Porto Alegre, whose experience became an international reference in participatory democracy by allowing citizens to directly decide on portions of the municipal public budget,” Oxfam said.
It also called for governments to publicly commit to and act on protecting and promoting freedom of expression, assembly and association (including online) for citizens, movements, journalists and organisations to be able to organise, speak up and protest to guarantee an enabling civic space, in line with international legal frameworks, standards and guidance to build the political power of the many.
It also advocated ensuring transparency and accountability around the upholding of these standards, and guaranteeing this through regular reporting and scrutiny by both state and non-state actors, as well as granting access to resources and information for individuals and organisations.
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