Preface
Cities are peculiar creations. They grow not just in their size but in their contradictions, feeding on human labour and aspirations, often offering promises that vanish like a mirage. This book, Urban Vulnerability: Inequality and Resilience in Indian Cities, is an effort to understand these contradictions-not by glorifying skyscrapers or highways, but by delving into the lives of those who struggle in their shadows. It journeys through the slums, where resilience battles despair, and dreams coexist with the harshness of reality. Indian cities are not just places; they are reflections of our society's deepest inequalities. They stand as stark mosaics-gleaming towers that symbolize progress and shanties that signify neglect. Between these extremes lies the true pulse of urban India: the lives of Dalits, OBCS, and the marginalized poor who have migrated in search of dignity and opportunity. For these individuals, the city is neither a destination nor an escape; it is a gamble-a deliberate choice to trade the constraints of rural life for the uncertain hope of something better. This book has been shaped by the voices of those who bear the burden of our cities on their shoulders. It is the story of women who. despite structural barriers, sustain their families with both labour and courage: of men who toil under the weight of inequality; and of children who turn rubble into playgrounds. These voices are not confined by academic definitions-they are raw, real, and brimming with insights into survival, resilience, and resistance. As I embarked on this work, I found myself unlearning many of the assumptions I carried. A slum is not just a sign of poverty-it is a Restament to survival, a space where the marginalized resist systemic oppression and create networks of solidarity. In these settlements, every.corner speaks of both vulnerability and creativity, Walls become testimonies of struggle, and even the most neglected drains reflect the ingenuity of human survival. This book is not simply an academic exercise, though it is informed by rigorous thought. Nor is it merely a collection of narratives, though these narratives form its soul. It is, above all, an attempt to place the lives of the urban poor at the centre of the discourse on urbanization. It challenges the blindness of policies that fail to see these communities as active participants in shaping our cities. It questions the morality of a society that builds progress on the backs of those it refuses to acknowledge. To write this preface is to honour those who inhabit the margins of our cities-not as victims, but as architects of their own lives. Their struggles, their resilience, and their unyielding spirit remind us of Dr. Ambedkar's assertion: "History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with economics." Yet these individuals defy the grim determinism of economics by carving out spaces of dignity and hope amidst overwhelming odds. Let this book serve as a tribute to those who endure and resist. To those who dream of equality under the weight of caste and poverty. To those who find ways to create meaning in the most adverse conditions. And to those who, despite every hardship, persist in believing that another kind of city, and another kind of sociery, is possible.
About the Author
Dr. Sanjay Jothe is a social scientist from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. India, whose research and writings explore the intersections of development, inequality, and social justice in postcolonial India. He holds an M.A. in Social Work from the Indore School of Social Work, Indore, and another M.A. in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, United Kingdom. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Habitat Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Dr. Jothe's research focuses on urban poverty, marginalized communities, Dalit and Tribal studies, women's studies, and the cultural dimensions of urbanization. His doctoral work critically examined the idea of vulnerability in Indian cities, investigating how urbanization, displacement. and neoliberal policies shape the lived experiences of the poor. He has collaborated with the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and the University of Erfurt (Germany), where he worked as a researcher at the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies. His scholarship combines ethnographic depth, theoretical insight, and normative commitment, reconceptualizing vulnerability as a dynamic negotiation between survival and aspiration rather than a condition of mere deprivation. At present, Dr. Jothe serves as an Associate Professor at ITM University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. His writings encourage policymakers and scholars to rethink the city as a democratic and inclusive commons, foregrounding the resilience and agency of those who build and sustain India's urban life.
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