Indigenous Question, Land Appropriation, and Development

Book excerpt: This book provides a first-hand account of land conflict and power relations in one of the most resource-rich states in India — Jharkhand. Through the eyes of the state, corporate, and indigenous actors, it reveals how conflict over land in Jharkhand is firmly embedded in the ideological foundations of the key actors in the region. Based on thorough research on the ground and interviews with state, corporate, and indigenous actors, the book explores a host of themes such as: the need and efficacy of state-led modernisation programmes, the market as the best regulator, and ‘ideas’ of development. The volume highlights how land conflicts in Jharkhand will persist until the ideological differences are recognised and welcomed in hopes of making way for collaborative governance. This work will be a key intervention in the fields of area studies, especially South Asian studies, public policy, politics, and development studies.