Vaijayanta Anand & Geeta Balakrishnan 
Community Practices in India 
Lessons from the Grassroots

As the seat of the origin of social work profession, the global North has dominated the production of social work knowledge while the global South has remained primarily the consumer of knowledge. This book is a ground-breaking collaboration by practitioners and academics from India to bring together indigenous knowledge in community organizing from the rich and vast base of experience existing within the country. The book presents case studies of community organizing that have successfully followed the agenda of social justice and social change for marginalized communities in various contexts in India. These efforts at community organizing are grounded in a critical analysis of varied societal forces that lead to oppression and marginalization of communities. The book captures the wisdom and foresight of community practitioners on approaches seen as locally relevant in India. It also presents an unprecedented example of the contribution made by the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, in addressing societal injustice and leaves the reader with thought-provoking questions around the scope and role of academic institutions towards this end. This volume will engage social work students, practitioners and educators in a critical reflection on the key concepts, processes, strategies and tensions underlying community organizing practices within the Indian context.