In the belly of the river
Subtitle: tribal conflicts over development in the Narmada Valley
By: Amita Baviskar
Series: Studies in social ecology and environmental history
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1995
Place of publication: Delhi; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 286
ISBN-13: 9780195635843
Subjects: Politics and government; Narmada project; Scheduled tribes; Sociale bewegingen; Dams; Ökologische Bewegung; Gedwongen migratie; Environmental conditions; Social conditions; Bhils
Description: 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.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [275]-283) and index.
Table of contents: title: 1. Introduction; title: 2. National Development, Poverty and the Environment; title: 3. A History of Adivasi-State Relations; title: 4. Bhilalas: Caste or Tribe?; title: 5. Community and the Politics of Honour; title: 6. Economy and Ecology; title: 7. 'In the Belly of the River': Nature and Ideology; title: 8. The Politics of the Sangath; title: 9. The Politics of the Andolan; title: 10. Conclusions; title: Appendix 1: Trees in the Forest around Anjanvara and their Uses; title: Appendix 2: Gayana - The Bhilala Song of Creation; title: A Glossary of Hindi and Bhilali Words.