The debate on equality and non-discrimination is
certainly not a new one, but the way it is incorporated in
that on social exclusion leads to several shifts within the
discourse on social justice. The term social exclusion is
multidimensional although its western use in a selective
way about markets promoting equality separates it from
the Indian emphasis on social justice as linked to ending
discrimination of dalit groups. The concept of social
exclusion is inherently problematic as it faces three
major challenges in India: the first relates to the historical
discrimination of certain groups and their exclusion; the
second is about the political economy of the excluded;
and the third questions the way in which equality
responses are restricted within the framework of
social exclusio
