Industrial Development under Democracy and Protest Movements of People in Odisha

Abstract

The liberalization process that started in India in the early 1990s has made Odisha potentially the most attractive destination for large capital-intensive projects by both public and private-sector firms- typically mineral based ones. These projects are facing opposition from the people, especially those likely to be displaced and those who will be indirectly affected. The violence over land acquisition by the government witnessed recently. The drive for land acquisition on the name of industrialization and development has been the reason behind rise in protests by the farmers and tribal people across the state. If the development projects are for the people, then why people rejected it. The protests by civil society and peoples against land acquisition have been growing in recent years. These protests and violence increasingly question the so-called “greater good”. The environmental problem of poor countries like India become acute and they deserve immediate attention in terms of planning and investment programs.