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- Convenor:
-
Ram Babu Mallavarapu
(Central University of Odisha, Koraput, India)
Send message to Convenor
- Track:
- Survival and Extinction
- Location:
- University Place 4.214
- Sessions:
- Friday 9 August, -, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
Large-scale development projects have been initiated in scheduled areas of India. Tribal lands and their common property resources (CPRs) and other natural resources (NRs) are now exposed to exploitative market forces. The panel invites papers on issues relevant to development, displacement, and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R).
Long Abstract:
After India's independence, several large scale irrigation and other mining projects have been initiated by the appropriate governments in the name of development. For this purpose, compulsory acquisition of tribal lands by the state in scheduled areas has been emerged as common phenomenon. In most of the cases, the project affected persons (PAPs) have not been compensated by proper rehabilitation and resettlement measures for their welfare, even though there are certain national and international norms and other guiding principle existed for their protection. In this process, the PAPs have been resisting all the threats of displacement and loss of their livelihoods with the support of civil society organisations (CSOs).
The panel invites the papers relevant to development, displacement, rehabilitation and resettlement policy and its implementation in India with special focus on irrigation, mining and other projects, i.e. special economic zones (SEZs), sanctuaries and tiger reserves.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Friday 9 August, 2013, -Hemalatha Bhat (Pondicherry University)
Paper short abstract:
The proposed land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (LAR&R) bill, 2011 appears better than land acquisition act (LAA), 1894. The paper attempts to analyse LAR&R bill and its social impacts on displaced communities.
Paper long abstract:
The LAA of 1894 governs the land acquisition process in India. The law enacted by the colonial government, aimed to utilize the forests and land resources for 'public good' and did not recognize the customary rights of tillers. It prescribed mere cash compensation to those who owned land titles through the legitimacy of the State.
The collapse of colonial regime in the twentieth century and the subsequent arrangement of world into new nation states governed by system of international capitalism, with mapped patterns of development policies, further altered the relationship of the human communities with natural resources. Under the benign impact of globalization and liberalization from 1991, a tremendous stress is at the fault lines of the tribal belt where large scale industrial projects and investments have been constantly projected as economic and institutional necessities.
The legal tangle with all possible complexities exists with the LAA of 1894, as it stipulates only individual landowners entitled for compensation in case of displacement, and all other customary owners of the land are classified as 'encroachers'. Absence of clear resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) policy and compensation in terms of market equivalent of the land value. The present paper focuses on these legal issues affecting various social categories of the Indian society, particularly the livelihood rights of the tribal and agrarian communities, through the analysis of various protest movements against development-induced displacements. The paper also compares the LAA of 1894 with the land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (LARR) bill, 2011, and highlights the differences and its impact on various communities.
Koteswararao Mannam (University of Hyderabad)
Paper short abstract:
In the process of development several irrigation projects have been initiated in India and this has displaced several indigenous communities at the cost of their natural environment and livelihoods.
Paper long abstract:
Developmental projects, so far implemented in India, since independence have led to displacement of indigenous people, degradation of forests and other natural resources causing losses to their livelihoods and sustainable environment. Earlier studies on the issues of displacement have proved these facts and also highlighted various inadequacies in implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) packages.
The paper is an attempt to analyze the impact of R&R initiatives undertaken for the welfare of the project affected indigenous people due to various irrigation projects under jalayagnam in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
Sheikh Rafiq Ullah (University of Hyderabad)
Paper short abstract:
In the name of development: globalization, neo-liberalism and rapid economic growth has resulted in monopolization and exploitation of natural resources.
Paper long abstract:
The process of monopolisation of resources by the state results in narrowing down of natural resource base for survival of economically poor, powerless and marginalised mostly the tribals, dalits and general population.
The past study indicates that the development may be boon for some but they are a curse for the rest. The response of the local and tribal communities to this new threat to survival, which is being created by the very process of development, has often manifested through violent or strife resistance, whose resources and livelihood are under threat. Such conflicts, involving tribals and marginal communities are on rise in India and have emerged as a serious challenge to the current practice and discourse of development. The central objective of the paper is to study the displacement by acquisition of agricultural lands for setting up of steel industry in Kalinga Nagar, Jajpur district in Odisha by the TATA company and role of the state in this context.
The focus of the study is how the government is taking tribal land at a low price for the public purpose use and selling it to the private industry. The study seeks to throw light upon the establishment of private industry and its impact on the livelihoods, socio-economic and psychological status of people, who have lost their valuable agricultural lands. It specifically looks into the violation of rights of the indigenous communities and its impact on their lives, especially the social and cultural aspects.
Asutosh Pradhan (Central University of Himachal Pradesh)
Paper short abstract:
Large development projects have surely led to national growth and prosperity but at the cost of the indigenous population. Most of the projects have been a curse to the project affected people (PAP). This paper would present some of the major problems faced and the unresolved issues of displacement.
Paper long abstract:
Large projects like mines, factories, nuclear establishments, power projects, highways and the like have surely brought about development to a nation. But the costs of such development too have been too high for the indigenous population especially. Most of the projects have been a curse to the PAPs. With faulty policies, indifferent attitude of the state and local administration, blatant violation of norms and corruption, the PAPs have often been on the losing side of the development divide. In fact 'forced displacement' has been conveniently used as 'involuntary displacement' so as to sound modest during any discourse related to resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R).
Loses in terms of livelihoods, an identity crisis and other forms of long-term social and cultural loses, etc. cannot be easily quantified and exactly estimated. The protest movements led by the local PAPs and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) cannot always match the determination of a rampaging economy and an emboldened corporate sector which has the government as its shield. This paper critically reviews the issues involved in development, displacement and resettlement in India.
Mahesh Admankar (Network For Environmental and Social Sustainability Transfornation)
Paper short abstract:
The enactment of special economic zones (SEZs) Act of India, 2005 is an outcome of the economic reforms initiated by the Government of India (GOI) in the light of globalisation. The paper focuses on the displacement of marginalised communities of India due to SEZs in Andhra Pradesh.
Paper long abstract:
In 2005, the GoI enacted SEZs Act and its rules were notified in 2006. The policy was aimed at giving big push to investment, employment and exports. For this purpose, the GoI has approved more than 586 SEZs so far with the allotment lands ranging from 10 to 5,000 hectares in size. After seven years, the experiences of SEZs clearly reflect that they never substantially benefited the marginalised communities, who have been displaced from their meager resources of livelihood. The alienated vulnerable communities in this process are mostly the indigenous people, i.e. tribals, dalits and other marginal farmers. Most of the identified and acquired lands under SEZs are the assessed waste and dry (AWD) lands, which have been distributed / assigned to the poor and other landless sections.
The state is creating the impression that the SEZs are formed primarily for the purpose of public and in name of national interest. However, in practice it appears to facilitate the interests of the powerful industrial houses / lobbies and multi-national companies (MNCs) for their own advantages at the cost of the poor and other vulnerable communities. Development agenda of Indian state, instead of striving for inclusive development model for the advantage of all the deprived sections, clearly reflecting the neo-feudal attitude in the wake of globalisation.
In this backdrop, the paper tries to evaluate the seven years of experience in the formation and promotion of SEZs in India with special reference to Andhra Pradesh. And explains how the marginalised sections of Indian society, especially the tribals, dalits and other poor farmers have been forced by the appropriate governments to give up their valuable sources of livelihoods without providing any alternative / comprehensive / remunerative economic resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) package by ignoring the aspirations of the SEZs affected people (SAPs) . It also puts forward some of the suggestions / recommendations on SEZ policy and practice for the equitable benefit of all marginalised sections of India in the broader perceptive of inclusive growth as envisaged and specified by the planners in the 11th five year plan document.
Gunjan Thakur (IIPM School of management, Kansbahal (Rourkela))
Paper short abstract:
The paper is an attempt to highlight the process of land acquisition and displacement in India with special focus on POSCO and Vedantha.
Paper long abstract:
Large-scale land acquisitions made by appropriate governments for providing infrastructural facilities to various industries such as those of POSCO in Jagatsinghpur and Vedanta aluminum in Langigarh in Orissa, and Singur in West Bangal have faced strong resistance /opposition from the affected people. The tireless efforts of victims in the form of peoples movements with the support of civil society across India have highlighted various injustices done to them and criticized the present form of development. However, due to these resistant movements, the government of India (GoI) came with the the land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation (LAR&R) bill in 2011 to frame the LAR&R Act in order to rectify various historical injustices done to the displaced people and also to overcome the defects exited in the earlier R&R policies. The paper discusses the issues in land acquisition and displacement in India with prime focus on POSCO and Vedantha.