India has experienced a whole array of social movements involving women, peasants, dalits, and others. We cannot apply the distinction of old and new social movements in the context of India. In a social movement, questions of social inequality can occur alongside other, equally important issues.
Social inequality and unequal distribution of resources continue to be important elements in these movements. Dalit labourers have acted collectively to ensure that they are not exploited by upper-caste landowners and money-lenders. The women’s movement has worked on issue of gender discrimination in diverse spheres like the workplace and within the family.
They are not just about old issues of economic inequality, nor are they organized along class lines alone. Identity politics, cultural anxieties and aspirations are essential elements in creating social movements and occur in ways that are difficult to trace to class-based boundaries.
