Social Sciences (Development Geography)

This article examines the mechanism of land acquisition executed by the previous Government of West Bengal in Singur and Rajarhat in the name development under the purview of public purposes. The study shows that the government has diluted several existing legal provisions laid down in Land Acquisition Act (LAA) 1894 and policy guidelines of National Policy for Rehabilitation and Resettlement 2003 and 2007. Procedural amendments of legal provisions and new enactments brought about by the state government in the orbit of LAA have made the acquisition easy going rather than bestowing privilege upon farming community. The policy intervention toward rehabilitating dispossessed households has been substandard and not inclusive in nature.

The study has been carried out in two villages of Rajasthan—Oriya village
in Mount Abu and Laxmon Ki Basti in Jaisalmer subdivision. In spite of being closely located to two tourist spots (Mount Abu and Sam Desert), the livelihood of the two villagers has shown vastly different patterns of development. While the inhabitants of Laxmon ki Basti are vulnerable and exposed to a variety of risks due to the low endowment of physical resources, low level of human capital (education and skills) and lack of proper institutional development, the quality of life is comparatively far superior for the residents of Oriya village. The study attempts to analyse the impact of tourism on livelihood patterns of the working population of these two villages. It is of special significance as an important source of economic activity for a majority of the working population in Laxmon ki Basti, although camel safari is seasonal and depends on the influx of tourists.

Khasi society in Meghalaya follows matrilineality- a social system in which family line is traced through women. However, the society now happens to be passing through a transitional phase whereby a section of radical khasi men destines to displace the years-old tradition. Given such situation, this piece of work has attempted to understand the grounds and rationality of blooming of matrilineality among the khasi community through an ethnographic research and its survival over time despite being surrounded by the patrilineal societies across India. It has also sought to analyse the true status of both khasi male and female in terms of their involvement in social, economic and political affairs under the matrilineal system. The study, however, concludes that despite
bestowing laudable respect towards women, today’s khasi society happens to be vitriolic due to its ‘customary code of conduct’ which keeps the khasi women outside all political affairs and make them to be engaged only in domestic affairs.

This paper is an outcome of a household survey conducted in Rajarhat, a place in West Bengal that witnessed the largest dispossession of farmers from their land in the last three decades for the establishment of business hubs, industrial technology parks, and dwelling units. The study substantiates that large-scale acquisition of agricultural land has transformed the rural livelihood structure of the workforce of dispossessed households in three ways: First, the share of non-farm workers has increased dramatically; second, the majority of these workers have established a foothold in various self-employment and nonfarm economic activities; and third, a small proportion remains unemployed in post-acquisition stage. The temporary work opportunities created by the government for dispossessed households are not inclusive, and dispossessed households that are well-linked with the local governance have gained more in securing these opportunities.

This paper is an outcome of a household survey conducted in Rajarhat, a place in West Bengal that witnessed the largest dispossession of farmers from their land in the last three decades for the establishment of business hubs, industrial technology parks, and dwelling units. The study substantiates that large-scale acquisition of agricultural land has transformed the rural livelihood structure of the workforce of dispossessed households in three ways: First, the share of non-farm workers has increased dramatically; second, the majority of these workers have established a foothold in various self-employment and nonfarm economic activities; and third, a small proportion remains unemployed in post-acquisition stage. The temporary work opportunities created by the government for dispossessed households are not inclusive, and dispossessed households that are well-linked with the local governance have gained more in securing these opportunities.

The matrilineal society of the khasi tribe in Meghalaya is now undergoing a transitional phase whereby, on the one hand, the government is attempting to destine its traditional political institutions more efficient instruments of democratic decentralization− resulting into contradictions over the ‘maneuver of village level governance’ between the government and the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), on the other hand, a section of khasi men presuming them to be deprived of the property rights wants to be recognized at par with the khasi women.  Given such situation, this piece of work attempts to analyze the status of both khasi male and female in terms of their involvement in social, economic and political affairs under the matrilineality. It also critically evaluates the fecundity of the Village Administration Bill (VAB) of 2014 keeping a gender perspective in focus. The paper, however, argues that despite having claimed to have placed women in higher position than men in the society, the khasi matrilineality vitriolically relegates the role of women in politics and governance, thus portrays a contradiction. This contradiction even vividly exists in the recent VAB passed by the KHADC. Our primary survey also reflects that the female workforce has mostly established a foothold in the low profile economic activities while dominance of the male workforce is found in those economic activities that are associated with a higher social status.

This piece of work critically analyses Michael Levien's book 'Dispossession without Development: Land Grabs in Neoliberal India' and its scholarly contribution to the existing body of literature on land dispossession and capitalism in general, and critical sociology of land dispossession in particular.

This paper is an outcome of a household survey conducted in Rajarhat, a place in West Bengal that witnessed the largest dispossession of farmers from their land in the last three decades for the establishment of business hubs, industrial technology (IT) parks, and dwelling units. The study substantiates that large-scale acquisition of agricultural land has transformed the rural livelihood structure of the workforce of dispossessed households in three ways. First, the share of non-farm workers has increased dramatically; second, the majority of these workers have established a foothold in various self-employment and nonfarm economic activities; and third, a small proportion remains unemployed in the post-acquisition stage. The temporary work opportunities created by the government for dispossessed households are not inclusive, and dispossessed households that are well-linked with the local governance have gained more in securing these opportunities.