Research Catalog

In the belly of the river : tribal conflicts over development in the Narmada Valley

Title
In the belly of the river : tribal conflicts over development in the Narmada Valley / Amita Baviskar.
Author
Baviskar, Amita, 1965-
Publication
Delhi ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1995.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Filter by

1 Item

StatusFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
TextUse in library GN635.I4 B396 1995Off-site

Details

Description
xiv, 286 pages : illustrations, maps; 22 cm.
Summary
  • Why are adivasis fighting the Narmada dam and other development projects in India today? Are adivasis 'ecologically noble savages' living in harmony with nature? What is the tribal relationship with nature today? How do people, whose struggles are the subject of theories of liberation and social change, perceive their own situation? Do their present circumstances allow adivasis to formulate a critique of 'development'?
  • In the Belly of the River addresses these questions through an account of the lives of Bhilala adivasis in the Narmada valley who are fighting against displacement by the Sardar Sarovar dam in western India. On the basis of intensive fieldwork and historical research, this study places the tribal community in the context of its experience of state domination. Combining aspects of adivasi kinship and religion with the political economy of resource use, the book highlights the contradictions inherent in tribal relationships with nature - contradictions that permeate adivasi consciousness as well as practices.
  • Baviskar critically examines the way in which adivasis are represented by intellectuals who speak 'on their behalf'. The author challenges current theories of social movements which claim that a cultural critique of the 'development' paradigm is writ large in the political actions of those marginalized by 'development' - adivasis who lived in harmony with nature, combining reverence for nature with the sustainable management of resources.
Series Statement
Studies in social ecology and environmental history
Uniform Title
Studies in social ecology and environmental history
Subject
  • Dams > Environmental aspects > India > Narmada River Region
  • Dams > Environmental aspects
  • Scheduled tribes in India
  • Social conditions
  • Ökologische Bewegung
  • Bhils
  • Sociale bewegingen
  • Gedwongen migratie
  • Narmada project
  • Narmada River Region (India) > Scheduled tribes
  • Narmada River Region (India) > Social conditions
  • India
  • India > Narmada River Region
  • Indien
  • Narmada
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (p. [275]-283) and index.
Contents
1. Introduction -- 2. National Development, Poverty and the Environment -- 3. A History of Adivasi-State Relations -- 4. Bhilalas: Caste or Tribe? -- 5. Community and the Politics of Honour -- 6. Economy and Ecology -- 7. 'In the Belly of the River': Nature and Ideology -- 8. The Politics of the Sangath -- 9. The Politics of the Andolan -- 10. Conclusions -- Appendix 1: Trees in the Forest around Anjanvara and their Uses -- Appendix 2: Gayana -- The Bhilala Song of Creation -- A Glossary of Hindi and Bhilali Words.
ISBN
  • 0195635841
  • 9780195635843
  • 0195643925
  • 9780195643923
LCCN
95910549
OCLC
  • ocm34913907
  • 34913907
  • SCSB-2129605
Owning Institutions
Princeton University Library