Buddhism, beyond its outlook as a religion and philosophy, has multiple dimensions and meanings, particularly in the form of social action with a universal and egalitarian appeal. The social justice movements in India, primarily based on anti-caste ideals, seek to employ Buddhism as a means to escape caste hierarchy. This article examines the role of Buddhist normativity in building a resistance movement for social transformation in the theoretical realm and explores its praxis, especially in the form of the creation of alternative cultural spaces through neo-Buddhist mobilisation in contemporary India. While analysing the instrumentality of Buddhist philosophy in achieving freedom and equality in a caste-bound society with a special focus on anti-caste cultural assertion in India, the study seeks to redefine the idea and operationalisation of the concept of social justice from the vantage point of Buddhist principles. The article further substantiates the theoretical proposition of Buddhism's instrumentality in reclaiming a just social order, drawing on in-depth interviews with people from marginalised castes who primarily engage with Buddhism as a social action.