ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how the phenomenon of social justice has been conceptualised in contemporary social and political theory, and how theorists have addressed the question of redressing injustice. It draws on Nancy Fraser’s notion of social justice encompassing the interrelationship between two dimensions of justice: recognition and redistribution. The chapter argues that a conception of social justice adequate to deal with the Dalit situation in Nepal needs to be one that recognises the importance of identity and group rights and one that ensures the representation of minority perspectives. It outlines various forms of group rights and some of the liberal criticisms levelled against group rights. One way of thinking about group rights has been through the concept of minority rights. The chapter deals with models of group-specific rights that would help to provide social justice to social groups. The models are mainly divided into two categories: special political representation and forms of structural intervention such as Affirmative Action.
