This volume traces the ways in which grassroots NGOs are incorporated into the official discourse of development in India. These NGOs are part of a vibrant democratic tradition that is independent of the state and its ideology of development. Kamat takes a fresh look at this traditional ‘autonomous politics’, assessing the contemporary context of state—NGO partnership within which such organizations operate. The book develops a complex portrayal of how the official discourse of development is consolidated at the local level, undermining the potential for alternative definitions of development at the grassroots. This is based on a richly detailed narrative of such an NGO in Maharashtra. Characterizing the trend as the ‘NGO-ization’ of grassroots politics, Kamat explains the basis for the current popularity of NGOs in the international sphere, especially in the context of neo-liberalism. This book is a unique contribution to the debate on the role of grassroots NGOs within the current context of state and civil society relations. Although based in India, it has wide relevance for scholars, policy-makers and practitioners interested in the future of democratic development all over the world.
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