Social Boycott: Caste, Informal Power, and the Reinvention of Village Governance in Rural Telangana Economy, India

This article examines social boycott as a contemporary form of caste power in rural Telangana society and economy, focusing on the role of Village Development Committees (VDCs) originating from the informal caste councils. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 20 respondents (8 women and 12 men; 8 from Scheduled Castes and 12 from Other Backward Classes) and autoethnographic reflections, the study reveals how social boycott operates through economic exclusion, control of commons, religious coercion, and gendered surveillance. The article argues that social boycott represents a form of informal sovereignty that thrives in the gap between constitutional law and everyday governance. By situating boycott within broader debates on decentralization, caste capture, and rural democracy, the study highlights the limitations of existing legal frameworks and the failure of state institutions to protect marginalized communities. The article concludes by proposing sociologically-grounded policy interventions aimed at criminalizing social boycott, regulating informal caste bodies, protecting livelihoods, and re-democratizing village governance.