Contribution short abstract

This contribution explores local governments in India as a lived site of grassroots agency. It examines delayed local elections, decentralization, reservations, climate struggles and the role of street theatre and local art forms in building community capacity and alternative futures.

Contribution long abstract

This contribution emerges from practice rather than prescription. It approaches local governments in India not as a fixed institution but as a lived and contested space where community agency is produced, disrupted and reclaimed. Drawing from our experience as practitioners of local governance, it reflects on how decentralization and people’s participation can open pathways toward alternative development futures.

Across India, national and state elections are conducted regularly, while local government elections are frequently delayed or disrupted. This is not merely a procedural lapse; it significantly weakens grassroots agency, particularly for marginalized communities. Local governments remain the most inclusive democratic spaces, with constitutional reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women. However, these democratic openings are often hollowed out by political centralisation, administrative apathy/neglect and the gradual erosion of local democratic practice.

The contribution also challenges the separation of climate justice from local governance, arguing that environmental struggles gain political strength and accountability only when embedded within local democratic institutions.

The research paper will be presented as a monologue (mono acting) in the conference, drawing on field experiences from the past ten years, policy analysis and local governance practices in India. It also reflects on why art forms such as street theatre, community drama, and indigenous and local performance traditions are important for educating people about their rights and responsibilities. These practices serve as powerful tools for community capacity building, translating democratic ideas into shared public knowledge and strengthening grassroots agency.