Role of Public Space in the Deliberative Public Sphere: The Case of India

This thesis examines the role of public space in the functioning of the public sphere within deliberative democracy, with a special focus on the Indian context. While much of the existing literature on deliberative democracy elaborates on its social requirements – the public sphere, its physical requirements – public space, have been largely overlooked. The contemporary public sphere primarily operates in a virtual environment through print and electronic media technologies in an increasingly globalized and virtually interconnected world. Despite its predominantly virtual existence, physical places that facilitate in-person deliberations still form a crucial aspect of a functioning public sphere. Academic scholarship on the topic undermines the physical needs of deliberative democracy. The thesis addresses this gap by analyzing how public spaces facilitate deliberative processes in this model of democracy and fulfill the limitations of the bourgeois public sphere and deliberative democracy. The thesis employs the methodology of rational reconstruction conceptualized by Jürgen Habermas (1989). This approach combines theoretical frameworks with empirical research by using the literature review method that sources data from books, journal articles, legal documents, and government websites. Drawing on the theoretical concepts of deliberative democracy, the public sphere, and public space, the study investigates how these elements interconnect and contribute to the workings of deliberative democracy. The empirical analysis of the Indian case illustrates the extent to which these Western theoretical frameworks remain applicable within the context of a developing country of the Global South. In particular, the thesis examines the case of India’s Right to Information (RTI) anti-corruption grassroots social movement, which spanned across a period of 17 years from 1989 to 2005. During this movement, key actors extensively utilized public spaces to facilitate deliberative democratic processes and promote the public demand for transparent and accountable state governance, highlighting the significant role of physical places in operationalizing deliberative democracy at a grassroots level. The thesis provides a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the public sphere and public space within deliberative democracy. It concludes that accessible physical places are a vital component of an inclusive and participatory public sphere, which is necessary for fostering a healthy deliberative democracy.