Necessity of Alternative Discourse
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 12, 2014 -
Globalization accompanied by neo-liberal reforms since the 1990s in India has led to massive changes which require penetrative reassessment.
While analyzing the advantages brought about by liberalization of the economy, policies related to exploiting the natural resources and land use have to be scrutinized from certain perspective which takes into consideration the views of those who are directly affected by the implementation of the same policies.
Take for instance, the recent ordinance cleared by the Centre to set defence, infrastructure and power projects in rural areas caught in land acquisition procedures.
Through this executive order, the Union Cabinet has amended the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 which was supposedly Congress-led UPA’s panacea to problems related to forced acquisitions, rehabilitation and re-settlement of displaced persons, low rates of compensation etc.
There is a need to assess how will this ordinance affect the contours of development in Northeast region of India which has not been left from a mantra bulldozed to reap expected good harvest.
Given the stiff resistance against building of big dams and hydro-projects based on impending impoverishment of those who are likely to be displaced, doubts have been raised over the efficacy of bringing in policies dictated by the powerful entities in the name of developing a region.
As of now, there has not been much debate on political challenge of ordinances, acts and polices related to induced development in the Northeast despite the ripples as evident from many anti-dam protests seen in recent times.
Here, the question should no longer be based on the quantum of compensation or even the consequent polices of dealing with the displaced.
Observers have even questioned the process of legalizing methods of looting precious natural resources while bringing no benefits to the people.
The miseries of displacement and woes of the communities have often been countered with promises of charting a singular path to development through building thermal power plants, dams, nuclear power plants, special economic zones, industrial corridors and other infrastructure projects.
In the absence of an alternative discourse, it would indeed be difficult to measure the distance of a path charted in the name of identifying the correct road map.
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