In the Belly of the River: Tribal Conflicts over Development in the Narmada Valley (Studies in Social Ecology and Environmental History)

This book provides 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. 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.

The complexity of adivasi politics cannont be reduced to an opposition between "development" and "resistance." The book forces us to re-examine the politics of representation within the ideology of progressive movements. It will be of equal interest to scholars and social activists concerned about development environment, and indigenous peoples.

Amita Baviskar is at Ciriacy Wantrup Fellow Institute for International Studies University of California, Berkeley.