ABSTRACT
To conclude, this book questions whether the local and central government policies, including UNESCO’s ICH nomination and the subsequent inscription, have been able to acknowledge the needs of the idol-making and allied communities within this largely informal settlement of Kolkata’s historic inner core. In doing so, it draws on debates on the future of crafts and cultural industries embedded in the Southern city’s fabric and the need to empower these communities and incorporate them within the policy realms. These debates build on ongoing discussions concerning citizenship, marginalisation, land and building ownership among the urban poor, and rights to infrastructure emerging from the South.
