Contrary to the dominant narrative of a vibrant democracy with a strong record of integration, many in India are in effect non-citizens. Citizenship cannot reach its potential unless there is a commitment to achieve equality and justice in practice. (Video, 33 mins)
See also the interview with Bela Bhatia on corruption and change in India. (7 minutes).
This video is part of a series published this week from the Oecumene project's second symposium, 'Deorientalising Citizenship?'. All of the videos will appear on the Oecumene: Citizenship after Orientalism partnership page, which is funded by the Oecumene Project and the Open University.
Bela Bhatia is an independent researcher and writer, presently honorary professor at Tata Institute for Social Sciences. Her research interests include questions related to people’s movements, human rights, peace and democracy, with special reference to rural India. She is co-author (with Mary Kawar and Mariam Shahin) of Unheard Voices: Iraqi Women on War and Sanctions (London: Change, 1992) and co-editor (with Jean Drèze and Kathy Kelly) of War and Peace in the Gulf: Testimonies of the Gulf Peace Team (London: Spokesman, 2001).
