Discourses of Development: “Development”, Resource Conflict and Political Opportunism in Odisha

A dominant discourse links displacement with development (economic growth and modernization) as a critical factor. The dominance of “development” discourse on displacement has, however, overlooked some critical discourses such as resource conflict and political opportunism. Lately, literature has focused on resource conflicts, violent or otherwise, that have contributed substantially to large-scale displacements. Similarly, politics, in terms of using the issue of displacement as political capital to capture power, don’t allow the issue to die down. Hence, in many cases, the pains of displacement don’t reduce as the demands of the displaced are conveniently overlooked. Based on observations through extensive field research, the chapter argues that while the development activities are important factors of displacement in Odisha, the more localized conflicts, especially among the marginalized communities backed by external forces such as the Maoists and the state officials, have also contributed to large-scale displacement.