The Economics and Politics of Resettlement in India

Chapter 4

Development-Induced Population Displacement

Atiya Habeeb Kidwai and Jay Drydyk*

Introduction

Development projects, policies and ventures, insofar as they cause displacement, give rise to legitimate ethical questions, concerns and dilemmas. What sharpens the latter is that in many cases displacement may be an unavoidable consequence of development. While the harm and impoverishment facing the displaced people call for recognition, people who depend on development for escaping deep poverty and creating better lives for their children, too, may have legitimate claims.

Proponents of development ethics consider it a mistake to conflate ‘development’ with ‘growth’. Rather, they reserve the use of the concept of ‘development’ for social changes ...