Mainstream WeeklySocial exclusion, defined as the systematic barring of individuals and groups from one or more dimensions of society as structures of power, privilege, opportunities, and resources, has been a persistent feature of human civilisations. Across the world, societies have developed mechanisms-some overt, others subtle-to deny large sections of the population access to material and symbolic goods, thereby institutionalising inequality. In Europe, exclusion discourse has often centred on labour market challenges arising from economic restructuring (Chomsky, 1999). Noam Chomsky argues that such restructuring dismantles social bonds, undermines democracy, and condemns large populations to urban slums and collapsing rural communities. However, in India, social exclusion cannot be fully understood through this Eurocentric lens. Instead, it must be examined against the backdrop of the caste system, a millennia-old mechanism of social stratification that continues to shape exclusionary practices.
This write-up explores the social exclusion of street vendors in India, a particularly vulnerable group within the informal urban economy, and examines how globalisation exacerbates their marginalisation. It draws on historical caste-based exclusion, contemporary socio-economic dynamics, and the disruptive forces of globalisation. The analysis proceeds through a discussion of exclusion as historically rooted in caste, the new exclusions produced by globalisation, the vulnerabilities of vendors as a critical urban population, and the challenges and promises of legal reform through the Street Vendors Act, 2014.
Objectives:
Three interrelated objectives guide the present discussion:
1. To analyse how globalisation, driven by institutions like the IMF and WTO, exacerbates the vulnerabilities of street vendors in India by displacing traditional livelihoods and intensifying economic marginalisation.
2. To investigate the interplay of legal, economic, and social barriers such as eviction, bribery, and caste-based discrimination faced by street vendors in urban India.
3. To explore the effectiveness and limitations of the Street Vendors Act, 2014, in mitigating exclusion amid globalisation’s pressures.
Methodology:
This study relies on secondary sources, including academic works (e.g., Bhowmik, 2008; Radhakrishnan, 2006), government reports (e.g., Sachar Committee, 2006), and policy documents (e.g., Government of India, 2014). Thematic analysis has been applied to synthesise evidence on historical and contemporary exclusionary processes. Case studies of Indian cities, combined with statistical insights on street vendors, provide empirical grounding. The approach is qualitative and interpretive, locating street vending within broader discourses of exclusion and globalisation.
The Caste System: A Historical Framework of Exclusion:
The caste system, described by sociologist G.S. Ghurye (1979) as the most elaborate and exclusionary form of social stratification, has dominated India for over three millennia. By assigning status by birth, enforcing rigid hierarchies of social precedence, and segregating privileges and occupations, caste entrenched barriers to mobility and dignity. The Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) codified such exclusions by delineating duties and restrictions for the four Varnas, with particularly harsh treatment reserved for "untouchables" such as the Chandalas, deemed