, DEVELOPMENT, RESOURCES AND LIVELIHOODS, ORGANISED BY DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY (UGC-SAP), 2015
A series of modern folklores and post-development narratives across the sites of construction Ide... more A series of modern folklores and post-development narratives across the sites of construction Identical discords tend to disjuncture a hydro electricity dam and a road. In both of the projects the expanse of construction requisite allows sufficient commonalities. One is that these projects are being undertaken by larger bodies like government, private and via publicprivate partnership (PPP) model. Two; stress on land grab: agricultural, forest, residential or a wasteland. Thirdly; broader inclusion into a pre-acknowledged category of development work. Four; unambiguous pollution reinforcement: water, air, noise and visual. Five; ascertains unavoidable fatalities at times. The simple dissimilarity among the two subsists in the context of their distinct social positioning. The dam construction on the one hand surpasses numerous challenges; socioeconomic, moral, environmental and legal. On the other, road construction is universally welcomed. Exemplifying the noted societal disparities in agreed impressions of ‘an unwanted’ and ‘the desired’ development that prevails simultaneously. Both the facets of ‘development’ scenario have been acknowledged in equal spirits. On the promising note uplifting in economic conditions by promoting schools, health care systems and roads have become much acceptable. Whereas undesired compromises at the cost of ecology, life, and livelihoods faced the collective burdens of liability and inaction. As in the case of forced displacement, threats endangering culture, community and traditional values. Throughout time, ecological harms have been rebuked to catalyse as an otherwise avoidable consequence of ill-execution in ‘development’ procedure. Development in its presumed form, technological or social, greatly impacts the terrains, lives of people and collective ecology. Development studies and the field of anthropology have thus co-existed since long. The chronology of studies from evolutionary theories of Tylor (1865), 71 Morgan(1877) to post modernism (Derrida 1997; Foucault 1970; Lyotard 1984; Baudrillard 1995) itself have invited profound schools of social thoughts. Anthropologists acted as policy maker by becoming a part of development processes and also as the critiques of the development. ‘Development’ and ‘change’ have been immensely braced in the growing world of building economy. Prolific scholarly writings are found on the timeless topics of ‘globalisation and development’ (Mehta 2009), ‘ecological and sociological impacts of development’ (EIA GOI 2009). Development studies have flourished as an autonomous discipline. The flash floods related disaster in Uttarkhand (2013), Kinnaur (June 2013), Jammu & Kashmir (2014) have all been largely attributed to prevailing development models. Largely, dam construction and related encroachments have been made liable for the high cost of loss of precious human lives and capital damage. An expert body report submitted to The Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India, 2014 has come up with harsh recommendations for the state body with hints that advocate ‘that several more projects could be dropped.’ (MOEF report 2013), clearly an admission that there is something fundamentally wrong, the way we conceptualise development. National Institute of Disaster Management report puts it on to claim “climatic conditions combined with haphazard human intervention” a down factor. As the residents and the bye passers share modern folklores prevalent in the project affected sites. The paper positions etic and emic approaches (Dundes 1962). To arrange the post dam narratives, case studies voice a series of experiences from the hill region of Sainj, in district Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.
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Identical discords tend to disjuncture a hydro electricity dam and a road. In both of
the projects the expanse of construction requisite allows sufficient commonalities. One is that
these projects are being undertaken by larger bodies like government, private and via publicprivate
partnership (PPP) model. Two; stress on land grab: agricultural, forest, residential or a
wasteland. Thirdly; broader inclusion into a pre-acknowledged category of development
work. Four; unambiguous pollution reinforcement: water, air, noise and visual. Five;
ascertains unavoidable fatalities at times.
The simple dissimilarity among the two subsists in the context of their distinct social
positioning. The dam construction on the one hand surpasses numerous challenges; socioeconomic,
moral, environmental and legal. On the other, road construction is universally
welcomed. Exemplifying the noted societal disparities in agreed impressions of ‘an
unwanted’ and ‘the desired’ development that prevails simultaneously.
Both the facets of ‘development’ scenario have been acknowledged in equal spirits.
On the promising note uplifting in economic conditions by promoting schools, health care
systems and roads have become much acceptable. Whereas undesired compromises at the
cost of ecology, life, and livelihoods faced the collective burdens of liability and inaction. As
in the case of forced displacement, threats endangering culture, community and traditional
values.
Throughout time, ecological harms have been rebuked to catalyse as an otherwise
avoidable consequence of ill-execution in ‘development’ procedure. Development in its
presumed form, technological or social, greatly impacts the terrains, lives of people and
collective ecology. Development studies and the field of anthropology have thus co-existed
since long. The chronology of studies from evolutionary theories of Tylor (1865),
71
Morgan(1877) to post modernism (Derrida 1997; Foucault 1970; Lyotard 1984;
Baudrillard 1995) itself have invited profound schools of social thoughts. Anthropologists
acted as policy maker by becoming a part of development processes and also as the critiques
of the development.
‘Development’ and ‘change’ have been immensely braced in the growing world of
building economy. Prolific scholarly writings are found on the timeless topics of
‘globalisation and development’ (Mehta 2009), ‘ecological and sociological impacts of
development’ (EIA GOI 2009). Development studies have flourished as an autonomous
discipline.
The flash floods related disaster in Uttarkhand (2013), Kinnaur (June 2013), Jammu
& Kashmir (2014) have all been largely attributed to prevailing development models.
Largely, dam construction and related encroachments have been made liable for the high cost
of loss of precious human lives and capital damage. An expert body report submitted to The
Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India, 2014 has come up with harsh
recommendations for the state body with hints that advocate ‘that several more projects could
be dropped.’ (MOEF report 2013), clearly an admission that there is something
fundamentally wrong, the way we conceptualise development.
National Institute of Disaster Management report puts it on to claim “climatic
conditions combined with haphazard human intervention” a down factor.
As the residents and the bye passers share modern folklores prevalent in the project affected
sites. The paper positions etic and emic approaches (Dundes 1962). To arrange the post dam
narratives, case studies voice a series of experiences from the hill region of Sainj, in district
Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.
The
this context it is the process of advocating and preferring
mutual interest over the individual profits. Peace is the ways
of survival in an unfriendly and foreign environment, without
getting hurt. Until now, when there were no currency notes
and coins to initiate business and earn profit, the economy
was based on mutual exchange in articles of interest, profit
was equal on two sides, the salt, spices and silk were
exchanged in return of the cattle stock and grains. As simple
it could ever get. During all these processes of cultural
adjustments and physical adaptations, it was never all joy
and progress, there were difficult times. The interaction of
Tibetan speaking individuals with the local communities of
McLeodganj and nearby area has been always a problem, andthen the most difficult task of culture adjustments, of likes
and dislikes, falling within the prohibitions norms and
regulations. Do’s and Don’ts all have to be kept in mind
according to the guidelines of local customs.
In another instance for months together, morning headlines exhibited Machiavellian tactics used by a successful businessman to flee the country without paying back millions borrowed from various public banks and before clearing dues of thousands of its employees. It was further distressing to note that this businessman was nominated twice to the upper house of the parliament and enjoyed political support across party lines and diplomatic impunity to do what he did.
These were not really the exceptions but in a certain way near norm that compels us to infer that Democratization of any polity-willy-nilly carries baggage of Machiavellian manoeuvring in its abdomen. Modern polity following renaissance ( 14th to 17th century) -not only incorporated the concept of republic but also in the wake of pragmatism argued in favour of connivance along with fear as important tools for maintaining state security and stability. It is in this context that republics and states become intertwined with 16th century work of Machiavelli- particularly The Prince ( Bobbio, 1989: 57-58).
History suggests that between 9th and 15th Century, the northern Italian Peninsula had small city-state that were independent. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 11th century, several of these city-states were able to grow as large trading metropolis coming out of the control of the ruling sovereign powers. Economic power played significant role in establishing political sovereignty and at the same time preventing absolute control. Some of these city-states gradually transited to becoming regional states and successfully evaded rule of monarchies. It was in this political climate that political philosophy of Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was nurtured. It was a period in which Popes and Catholic Church was trying to control the Italian city-states. Machiavelli acquired prominent political appointments after the defeat of the ruling Medici family in Florence. His political thoughts were nurtured in the field, as he observed rather unethical methods in which religion was exploited as means for absolute political control and for state building used by Cesare Borgia (1475-1507) and his father Pope Alexander VI.
Since early 1970s dam development projects witnessed severe opposition in India. The remote tribal groups and rural
population rejected the idea of large scale displacement, land alienation, economic insecurity and endless suffering that came
along with ‘development’ projects (Roy 1999, Baviskar 1995). Sensing threats to vast expanse of forest cover and ecological
diversity tribals have launched several struggles against the construction giants. In recent past the construction of
hydroelectricity projects has faced severe opposition in the tribal regions in Himachal Pradesh. The locals in Kinnaur are
facing numerous socio-economic and environmental consequences of these constructions in fragile Himalayan ecology
(Asher 2013,2015; Negi 2014 ). The locals have united against future dam constructions in the Sutlej valley. Similarly, more
than 30 hydro projects proposed (SANDRP 2016, HIMURJA 2016) in Lahaul & Spiti are also being challenged by the
people in Chenab valley. The emerging ecological, socio-cultural, economic, and political implications of these projects have
forced people to oppose them. The study has been conducted as a part of my doctoral research conducted in Lahaul & Spiti
and Kinnaur districts in Himachal Pradesh. Executing an ethnographic approach the present study is a result of five years of
data generation and analysis in the field. The paper summarises the ongoing struggle and diverse implications added with
climate change in the rural structures.
Keywords: Glaciers, dams, planned interventions, pressure on ecology and resources, misused compensation
ABSTRACT
The arena of social change emerges out of the same shelf of basic understanding in social research that deals with inter-personal, cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary aspects in the society. A major focus hovers around selective concepts and their compatibility for relative comparison. Following a similar suit the paper investigates into the trends of development interventions capable of super-imposing socio-economic changes. Dreze & Sen 1995 give the example of India that government in India has erred by being ‘over-active’ and ‘too interventionist’ in controlling industries, restraining gains from trade and blighting competiveness. And on the other hand Soporific under-activity in expanding school education, public health care, social security, gender equity and land reform adds to the overall failure of state machinery.
Auto ethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience. (Ellis et al 2011). Set in the geographical region of Western Trans-Himalayas the paper is a collected account of development narratives from Lahaul & Spiti. Rohtang tunnel, hydro projects and tourism being the most discussed issues, have been linked to the socio-culture aspects. The paper records changing trends in the society with respect to time and space.
Keywords: Development, change, Lahaul & Spiti
Vijay Kumar Bodh
Research Scholar
Department of anthropology
Panjab university
Chandigarh
Vijay.bodh@yahoo.in
9888017251
Conference Presentations
The present paper is an output of a ten-day field work to the various rock art sites of the Spiti Valley in October 2015. Two of the authors conducted the survey on behalf of the I.G.N.C.A. (Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts), New Delhi.
construction
Identical discords tend to disjuncture a hydro electricity dam and a road. In both of
the projects the expanse of construction requisite allows sufficient commonalities. One is that
these projects are being undertaken by larger bodies like government, private and via publicprivate
partnership (PPP) model. Two; stress on land grab: agricultural, forest, residential or a
wasteland. Thirdly; broader inclusion into a pre-acknowledged category of development
work. Four; unambiguous pollution reinforcement: water, air, noise and visual. Five;
ascertains unavoidable fatalities at times.
The simple dissimilarity among the two subsists in the context of their distinct social
positioning. The dam construction on the one hand surpasses numerous challenges; socioeconomic,
moral, environmental and legal. On the other, road construction is universally
welcomed. Exemplifying the noted societal disparities in agreed impressions of ‘an
unwanted’ and ‘the desired’ development that prevails simultaneously.
Both the facets of ‘development’ scenario have been acknowledged in equal spirits.
On the promising note uplifting in economic conditions by promoting schools, health care
systems and roads have become much acceptable. Whereas undesired compromises at the
cost of ecology, life, and livelihoods faced the collective burdens of liability and inaction. As
in the case of forced displacement, threats endangering culture, community and traditional
values.
Throughout time, ecological harms have been rebuked to catalyse as an otherwise
avoidable consequence of ill-execution in ‘development’ procedure. Development in its
presumed form, technological or social, greatly impacts the terrains, lives of people and
collective ecology. Development studies and the field of anthropology have thus co-existed
since long. The chronology of studies from evolutionary theories of Tylor (1865),
71
Morgan(1877) to post modernism (Derrida 1997; Foucault 1970; Lyotard 1984;
Baudrillard 1995) itself have invited profound schools of social thoughts. Anthropologists
acted as policy maker by becoming a part of development processes and also as the critiques
of the development.
‘Development’ and ‘change’ have been immensely braced in the growing world of
building economy. Prolific scholarly writings are found on the timeless topics of
‘globalisation and development’ (Mehta 2009), ‘ecological and sociological impacts of
development’ (EIA GOI 2009). Development studies have flourished as an autonomous
discipline.
The flash floods related disaster in Uttarkhand (2013), Kinnaur (June 2013), Jammu
& Kashmir (2014) have all been largely attributed to prevailing development models.
Largely, dam construction and related encroachments have been made liable for the high cost
of loss of precious human lives and capital damage. An expert body report submitted to The
Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India, 2014 has come up with harsh
recommendations for the state body with hints that advocate ‘that several more projects could
be dropped.’ (MOEF report 2013), clearly an admission that there is something
fundamentally wrong, the way we conceptualise development.
National Institute of Disaster Management report puts it on to claim “climatic
conditions combined with haphazard human intervention” a down factor.
As the residents and the bye passers share modern folklores prevalent in the project affected
sites. The paper positions etic and emic approaches (Dundes 1962). To arrange the post dam
narratives, case studies voice a series of experiences from the hill region of Sainj, in district
Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.
The
this context it is the process of advocating and preferring
mutual interest over the individual profits. Peace is the ways
of survival in an unfriendly and foreign environment, without
getting hurt. Until now, when there were no currency notes
and coins to initiate business and earn profit, the economy
was based on mutual exchange in articles of interest, profit
was equal on two sides, the salt, spices and silk were
exchanged in return of the cattle stock and grains. As simple
it could ever get. During all these processes of cultural
adjustments and physical adaptations, it was never all joy
and progress, there were difficult times. The interaction of
Tibetan speaking individuals with the local communities of
McLeodganj and nearby area has been always a problem, andthen the most difficult task of culture adjustments, of likes
and dislikes, falling within the prohibitions norms and
regulations. Do’s and Don’ts all have to be kept in mind
according to the guidelines of local customs.
In another instance for months together, morning headlines exhibited Machiavellian tactics used by a successful businessman to flee the country without paying back millions borrowed from various public banks and before clearing dues of thousands of its employees. It was further distressing to note that this businessman was nominated twice to the upper house of the parliament and enjoyed political support across party lines and diplomatic impunity to do what he did.
These were not really the exceptions but in a certain way near norm that compels us to infer that Democratization of any polity-willy-nilly carries baggage of Machiavellian manoeuvring in its abdomen. Modern polity following renaissance ( 14th to 17th century) -not only incorporated the concept of republic but also in the wake of pragmatism argued in favour of connivance along with fear as important tools for maintaining state security and stability. It is in this context that republics and states become intertwined with 16th century work of Machiavelli- particularly The Prince ( Bobbio, 1989: 57-58).
History suggests that between 9th and 15th Century, the northern Italian Peninsula had small city-state that were independent. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 11th century, several of these city-states were able to grow as large trading metropolis coming out of the control of the ruling sovereign powers. Economic power played significant role in establishing political sovereignty and at the same time preventing absolute control. Some of these city-states gradually transited to becoming regional states and successfully evaded rule of monarchies. It was in this political climate that political philosophy of Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was nurtured. It was a period in which Popes and Catholic Church was trying to control the Italian city-states. Machiavelli acquired prominent political appointments after the defeat of the ruling Medici family in Florence. His political thoughts were nurtured in the field, as he observed rather unethical methods in which religion was exploited as means for absolute political control and for state building used by Cesare Borgia (1475-1507) and his father Pope Alexander VI.
Since early 1970s dam development projects witnessed severe opposition in India. The remote tribal groups and rural
population rejected the idea of large scale displacement, land alienation, economic insecurity and endless suffering that came
along with ‘development’ projects (Roy 1999, Baviskar 1995). Sensing threats to vast expanse of forest cover and ecological
diversity tribals have launched several struggles against the construction giants. In recent past the construction of
hydroelectricity projects has faced severe opposition in the tribal regions in Himachal Pradesh. The locals in Kinnaur are
facing numerous socio-economic and environmental consequences of these constructions in fragile Himalayan ecology
(Asher 2013,2015; Negi 2014 ). The locals have united against future dam constructions in the Sutlej valley. Similarly, more
than 30 hydro projects proposed (SANDRP 2016, HIMURJA 2016) in Lahaul & Spiti are also being challenged by the
people in Chenab valley. The emerging ecological, socio-cultural, economic, and political implications of these projects have
forced people to oppose them. The study has been conducted as a part of my doctoral research conducted in Lahaul & Spiti
and Kinnaur districts in Himachal Pradesh. Executing an ethnographic approach the present study is a result of five years of
data generation and analysis in the field. The paper summarises the ongoing struggle and diverse implications added with
climate change in the rural structures.
Keywords: Glaciers, dams, planned interventions, pressure on ecology and resources, misused compensation
ABSTRACT
The arena of social change emerges out of the same shelf of basic understanding in social research that deals with inter-personal, cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary aspects in the society. A major focus hovers around selective concepts and their compatibility for relative comparison. Following a similar suit the paper investigates into the trends of development interventions capable of super-imposing socio-economic changes. Dreze & Sen 1995 give the example of India that government in India has erred by being ‘over-active’ and ‘too interventionist’ in controlling industries, restraining gains from trade and blighting competiveness. And on the other hand Soporific under-activity in expanding school education, public health care, social security, gender equity and land reform adds to the overall failure of state machinery.
Auto ethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience. (Ellis et al 2011). Set in the geographical region of Western Trans-Himalayas the paper is a collected account of development narratives from Lahaul & Spiti. Rohtang tunnel, hydro projects and tourism being the most discussed issues, have been linked to the socio-culture aspects. The paper records changing trends in the society with respect to time and space.
Keywords: Development, change, Lahaul & Spiti
Vijay Kumar Bodh
Research Scholar
Department of anthropology
Panjab university
Chandigarh
Vijay.bodh@yahoo.in
9888017251
The present paper is an output of a ten-day field work to the various rock art sites of the Spiti Valley in October 2015. Two of the authors conducted the survey on behalf of the I.G.N.C.A. (Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts), New Delhi.