Description
India introduced several changes after Independence. These changes were aimed at transforming the socio-cultural and economic life of the people as well as to make them equal partners in the development process. It is viewed that development cannot be silenced by slogans; it has to be carried out towards socio-economic and occupational upliftment of country’s population and at the same time aiming at the achievement of technological and industrial goals.
Development is not only the expansion of infrastructural facilities for economic growth but is also aimed at the general welfare of various sections of the population including those at whose cost such development takes place. The process of establishing industries, acquiring lands for urbanization and irrigation purposes pose several problems for those on whose lands the structures are erected. A simple answer to their grievances has been to pay “minimum” possible financial compensation because “gross” compensation demands not only monetary benefits but also provision of peace and harmony alongwith a better socio-economic order.
The history of evacuation is replete with sad stories to tell about socio-psychological shocks related to detachment from primary sources of production. The residues of Narmada and Sardar Sarovar Project, and their effect on tribal area organizations have strengthened agitations against the construction of dams at the cost of social and environmental imbalances.
The present study is an attempt to analyse evacuees’ socio-economic conditions, their displacement from their primitive habitat, payment of compensation and rehabilitation at new places. It has also tried to compare the situation with different dams and social groups, i.e., Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, other Backward Castes and upper castes. The data was collected from five selected. The data was collected from five selected dam-sites and have been analysed in seven chapters.
