This book is a first-ever detailed analysis of the land acquired for development projects and their impact on the displaced and project-affected people of Gujarat, from 1947 to 2004. It begins with a debate on the meaning of the term ‘development’ and focuses on displacement, marginalisation and impoverishment as direct consequences of admittedly debatable methods of progress adopted in Gujarat in the name of development.
The book presents a comprehensive account of land acquired for water resources, industries, mines, HRD, transportation/communication, and urban development projects and focuses on the people displaced and affected by them. Additionally it pays special attention to the legislative hurdles in rehabilitation and compensation procedures which follow displacement, analysing the behaviour of officials towards people, the role of village leaders and the impact on people, especially tribals, dalits, the ‘backward’ castes, women and children.
The information presented covers 139 sites and 1,937 households from different regions of Gujarat. The book is special in that it discusses the issue of the current and future state of land acquisition in Gujarat as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), thereby contributing to the debate on the necessity and the significance of SEZs.
This book is an important addition to the available resources in the field of economics and development studies and political sociology. It will be useful as a reference book to researchers and academics working in these areas as well as the professionals involved in the field.
