Alternative Futures: India Unshackled is a book that brings together scenarios of an India that is politically and socially egalitarian, radically democratic, economically sustainable and equitable, and socio-culturally diverse and harmonious. Edited by KJ Joy and Ashish Kothari, with a foreword by Shiv Vishwanathan, Alternative Futures: India Unshackled covers a wide range of issues, organized under four sections. It explores ecological futures including environmental governance, biodiversity conservation, water and energy. Next, it envisions political futures including those of democracy and power, law, ideology, and India’s role in the globe. A number of essays then look at economic futures, including agriculture, pastoralism, industry, crafts, villages and cities, localization, markets, transportation and technology. Finally, it explores socio-cultural futures, encompassing languages, learning and education, knowledge, health, sexuality and gender, and marginalized sections like dalits, adivasis, and religious minorities.

Introductory and concluding essays tie these diverse visions together. Most essays include both futuristic scenarios and present initiatives that demonstrate the possibility of such futures.

At a time when India faces increasing polarization along parochial, physical and mental boundaries, these essays provide a breath of fresh air and hope in the grounded possibilities for an alternative, decentralized, eco-culturally centred future. The essays range from the dreamy-eyed to the hard-headed, from the provocative to the gently persuasive.

This book would hold appeal for a wide range of readers – youth, academics, development professionals, policy makers, government officials, activists, people’s movements, media persons, business persons – concerned about the current state of India and the world, and willing to engage critically in the collective search for a better future.

EDITORS:

ASHISH KOTHARI coordinates the Alternatives programme of Kalpavriksh, has taught at Indian Institute of Public Administration, and chairs the Board of Greenpeace India.

K. J. JOY is Senior Fellow with Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM), Pune and has been an activist-researcher for more than 30 years.

AUTHORS:

Abhay Shukla | Aditya Nigam | Anand Teltumbde | Arpitha Kodiveri | Aruna Roy| Arvind Narrain | Aseem Shrivastava | Ashish Kothari | Bharat Mansata | Bharat Patankar | Dinesh Abrol | Dunu (A.K.) Roy | Elango Rangasamy | Ganesh Devy | Geetanjoy Sahu | Gladson Dungdung | Hanwant Singh Rathore | Harish Hande | Himanshu Thakkar | Ilse Kohler-Rollefson | Irfan Engineer | K. J. Joy | Kartik Shanker | Kavitha Kuruganti | M. P. Parameswaran | Manisha Gupte | Meera Anna Oommen | Muchkund Dubey | Nikhil Dey | Nitin D. Rai | Pallav Das | Paranjoy Guha Thakurta | Praavita Kashyap | Rachita Misra | Rajesh Khindri | Rajeswari S. Raina| Rajni Bakshi | Rakesh Kapoor | Rakhal Gaitonde | Sarita Bhagat | Sharachchandra Lele | Shripad Dharmadhikary | Shrishtee Bajpai | Sudha Gopalakrishnan | Sujit Patwardhan | Tultul Biswas | Uzramma | Vasant Futane | Vijay Jardhari | Vivek Shastry

SUBJECT AREAS COVERED:

Media | Global role | Sexuality | Villages & Cities | Bazaars | Gender | Languages | Health | Arts and Crafts | Minorities | Industry | Education | Democracy | Law | Ideologies |

Conservation | Adivasis | Pastoralism | Knowldge | Transportation | Dalits | Food | Water | Energy

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