Displacement to Rehabilitation: A Struggle to Diminish Plight

Authors

  • Gopinath Majhi

Keywords:

Hirakud Dam, Displacement, Peoples Movement, Rehabilitation

Abstract

In the pre and post-independence period, India began big projects like dams, factories, and industries to accelerate the country's economic growth. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster, famously proclaimed that dams were the temples of modern India. The cost of development came with a displacement of people from their homes, land, livelihood, and resources. The lack of land records deprived many people of marginalized communities of the minimal rehabilitation and resettlement packages offered by the Government. The displacement without consent and inappropriate rehabilitation schemes led to resentment among the inhabitants. In all most all large-scale displacement cases, people choose mass movement as a means to claim their rights. Some movements were against the project, and some were for better resettlement policies. There are several successful collective actions. In this article, we will discuss the unique struggle of Budi Anchal Sangram Samiti, a collective of displaced people in Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts in Odisha, India.

Author Biography

Gopinath Majhi

Gopinath Majhi is an activist and social worker from the indigenous Gond community in Odisha. With a post-graduate degree in English literature, he has been associated with the organization SRUTI as a fellow for a significant period. As the General Secretary of Budi Anchal Sangram Samiti, he has been actively fighting for the rights of displaced people due to the Hidakudh Multi-Purpose dam. He is also the convenor of Campaign for Survival and Dignity, where he is committed to advocating for the protection of the rights of forest dwellers and tribal communities.

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Published

2023-05-25

How to Cite

Majhi, G. (2023). Displacement to Rehabilitation: A Struggle to Diminish Plight . Social Innovations Journal, 18. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/5998

Issue

Vol. 18 (2023): Capturing Social Innovation Models by Marginalized Communities from Collective Grassroots Action to Building a Pathway of Systemic Social Change

Section

Collective Action in Exigencies/Need based

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Copyright (c) 2023 Gopinath Majhi (Author)

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