ABSTRACT
Cohesion in development would imply more than just inclusion. It would involve an integration of multiple stakeholders and a negotiation between their diverse, even conflicting interests. In this paper, we discuss the trajectory of such an integration to reflect upon both the transformative potential as well as limits to cohesion. In 1993, informal waste pickers in Pune (India) were collectivized to form the Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat, a trade union for safeguarding their economic interests. This internal cohesion paved the way for the self-employed, largely female waste pickers to engage with the state. Going further, in 2008, the union carved a sister organization SWaCH, a co-operative which entered into a contract with the Pune Municipal Corporation for door-to-door collection of waste. Consequently, the waste pickers were transformed into important stakeholders in the management of solid waste in the city, acting as a crucial interface between the state and the households. This larger cohesion extended the series of claim making by the marginalized from the state, giving them a voice in the nature of inclusion they are seeking.
