Jayati, is a peoples economist, and apart from her many remarkable attributes, she is an intrinsic part of the campaigns for furthering economic equality and social justice, in India and in the world. Her seminal contribution to the passage of an Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India is widely recognized, empowering millions of workers, with the right to employment. She continues to be an integral part of the group of economists committed to ensure the protection of workers guarantees, from incessant alarmist resistance from neo-liberal economists and the political right. The MGNREGA was vindicated in fighting poverty and unemployment, during Covid19 and at other critical times. Always there - in letter and spirit, as a public intellectual, author and comrade, Jayati has been a part of the collective voice for equality, fraternity, justice and dignity. It is befitting that a remarkable person of letters is recognised through a festschrift that celebrates her successful, lifelong engagement with the causes she has stood for all these years.
Aruna Roy, social activist
Jayati Ghosh is a brilliant and persuasive critic of the current world order. These essays build on the example she has set, magnifying the power of critical economic thinking.
Nancy Folbre, Professor emerita of economics University of Massachusetts Amherst
The exemplary essays in this volume are a testament to Jayati Ghosh's exceptional contributions not only to development economics and political economy but also to freedom, human rights, social movements, and the transformative power of music. They challenge the narrow scope of orthodox economics, advocate for a broader conception of development that emphasizes structural, institutional, and normative transformations for equity and growth. I strongly recommend the Book to all those who remain committed to people driven development approaches, inclusive public action, and amplifying the voices of the Global South.
A.K. Shiva Kumar, Development Economist
