Content area
Full Text
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)
Introduction
The landscape of international politics has witnessed the consistent effort of states to adopt suitable models of development for the enhancement and progressively efficient use of resources and infrastructure. The thematic shift from tradition to modernity has led to a greater spree among the nations to launch various developmental initiatives for higher economic growth along with a stable political and socio-cultural environment. The concept of sustainability has qualified the pursuit of development and rendered its nature more comprehensive and holistic. Sustainable development has, therefore, emerged as a definite strategy. The articulation of development projects and their establishment in suitable areas has been a necessary ingredient of such endeavours of most states. However, the setting up of such projects has triggered the phenomenon of displacement of large populations, citizens, or the residents of the area under consideration, creating the category of the 'development induced displacees'. Viewed within the larger perspective of internal displacement, Development Induced Displacement (DID) has attracted enormous international and region-specific concerns in recent times due to the overwhelmingly negative socio-economic, cultural, and human rights consequences.
In India, the march towards the establishment of a developed economy in the liberalization period has led to the increased articulation of developmental projects such as dams, irrigation projects, mines, and industries by the government. This has been complemented by similar initiatives by non-governmental enterprises. The outcome is that the state is depending on private enterprise to develop new industries and is even disinvesting state equity in profitable state-owned enterprises. While the exigencies of the times demand such policies, it cannot be denied that it also imbues the state with the responsibility to ensure the security and well-being of the displaced population. The literature on DID and the available political, legal, sociological and political economic perspectives have indicated the need for the state to reach a necessary balance between its efforts to augur development and to make it sustainable, just, and equitous. The inclusion of the affected population in the process of development may emerge as a viable policy option. This paper attempts to explore the theoretical, legal, and policy-level issues so far responsible for impeding the culmination of sustainable development in India. The complex issues involved in the articulation of...