Mapping State-Civil Society Interface in India : A Conceptual Engagement

Abstract

In recent times, there has been an increasing concern over Shrinking space for civil society the world over including India. Restrictions on freedom of speech, increasing surveillance and monitoring of civic space, revocation of foreign funding licenses of NGOs, harassment and intimidation of civil rights activists are some of the manifestations that reflect the trend. Concerns have also been raised over rising public intolerance in the civic space marked by bigotry, violence and hate crimes. In light of these recent developments, the paper seeks to conceptually engage with the idea of civil society and its interface with the state as it has evolved in the Indian context. By revisiting the scholarly literature on state-civil society intersection in India, the paper reinforces the need for a contextual understanding of civil society contesting the universalistic claim about the ‘emancipatory potential’ of civil society.