Displacement: A Socio-Economic Rights Perspective

Development projects have often led to adverse effects in the form of displacement of people from their original place of habitation due to large-scale land acquisition. Despite serious efforts by the state and non-state actors, development-induced displacement in the country has resulted in severe economic, social, and environmental problems to the displaced people. In a developing country like India, ignoring the affected people, largely underprivileged and illiterate, plays havoc. A late realization by the stakeholders leaves no scope for overhauling of the already executed project. This research paper, referring to a case of the Gopalpur project of the Tata Steel Ltd. in Odisha, analysed pre- and post-displacement conditions of the project-affected people. The research objectives of the study are: to assess people's mindsets about the possible changed lifestyle in post-displacement period to see if the displacement is instrumental in changing the profession of people to study the impact of such displacement-related issues on nearby township to study the role of state and non-state actors in the entire process to suggest a remedial action plan to minimize the anomalies, if witnessed. For the purpose of this study, a total of 1,555 Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) families were surveyed to examine their socio-economic rights status. The research construct was based on eight variables — work, earning, animal husbandry, health, education, public participation, spirituality, and infrastructure. The findings obtained on some of the variables like work, earning and animal husbandry showed a decline. The plant could not come up in the acquired land which pushed them to adopt new avocations like construction work in place of their original cultivation work. Other variables like health, education, and infrastructure showed a positive trend. The variables like spirituality and public participation reflected very low significance in the study. Illiteracy of the respondents and the controversial nature of the subject acted as limitations for a broader study. The study suggested the need for revival of the traditional ‘Kewra’ plantation which was an effective additional earning support for the people in the locality before displacement. Development of local self-sustaining groups and smaller cottage industries based on locally available raw materials were also viewed as other options for revival.