Democracy and Social Justice in Practice: The Political Thought of Karpoori Thakur

The postcolonial Indian state, despite itsconstitutional commitment to justice, liberty, equality,and fraternity, has struggled to reconcile proceduraldemocracy with substantive social justice. Whileelectoral politics ensured formal representation,structural inequalities rooted in caste, class, and genderoften constrained marginalized communities’ accessto power. In this context, the role of regional leaderswho championed distributive justice becomes crucialto understanding the evolution of Indian democracy.Among them, Karpoori Thakur stands out as a leaderwho not only articulated but also attempted toinstitutionalize social justice through concrete policies.