A. Displacement and Development
The work on the book “Abandoned: Development and Displacement” was started in October 2006. This led to the formation of Perspectives in February 2007. In December, a five-member team visited Asansol and Durgapur in West Bengal and Sarai Kela Kharsawan and East Singbhum districts of Jharkhand to understand the displacement caused due to coal mining, uranium mines (Turamdih) and a wildlife sanctuary (Dalma). Based on our field visit and secondary literature, we published the aforementioned book in February 2007. A 20-minute documentary film on the same issue (with the same title) was also brought out with the footage captured by a filmmaker who had accompanied us on the visit.
The book was reviewed by the Economic and Political Weekly and Frontier Magazine. The film won the first prize in a documentary film competition at St. Stephen’s College. The book was translated in Hindi to enable it to reach a wider audience and was brought out as कहाँ गए वे लोग: विकास और विस्थापन in September 2007. We organised a convention in September 2007, where we invited academicians and activists who have worked on this issue. Professor Amit Bhaduri released the book and gave the keynote address, Lalit Batra of Delhi spoke on urban displacement, Mohanty of the Anti-Imperialist Forum spoke on displacement in Orissa and Chittaroopa Palit of Narmada Bachao Andolan spoke on the anti-displacement struggle in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Perspectives presented a paper on Special Economic Zones.
B. Agrarian Crisis
The book was reviewed by the Economic and Political Weekly and Frontier Magazine. The film won the first prize in a documentary film competition at St. Stephen’s College. The book was translated in Hindi to enable it to reach a wider audience and was brought out as कहाँ गए वे लोग: विकास और विस्थापन in September 2007. We organised a convention in September 2007, where we invited academicians and activists who have worked on this issue. Professor Amit Bhaduri released the book and gave the keynote address, Lalit Batra of Delhi spoke on urban displacement, Mohanty of the Anti-Imperialist Forum spoke on displacement in Orissa and Chittaroopa Palit of Narmada Bachao Andolan spoke on the anti-displacement struggle in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Perspectives presented a paper on Special Economic Zones.
B. Agrarian Crisis
Ten students and teachers visited Mansa and Patiala districts of Punjab in June 2007 to understand the reasons behind farmers’ distress and suicide in a state which has always been posed as the most successful example of the Green Revolution. We met activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) and faculty members of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. In January 2008, we organised a public meeting on the agrarian crisis, where Prof. D.M. Diwakar of Giri Institute, Lucknow was the speaker.
In May 2008, seventeen students and teachers visited Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, which falls in the Vidarbha region characterised by the high rate of suicides amongst cotton farmers. We were hosted by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti and we met peasant leaders Kishore Tiwari (of VJAS) and Vijay Jawandhia of Wardha.
The book “Harvesting Despair: Agrarian Crisis in India” was published in January 2009. A review of the book appeared in the March 2009 issue of Seminar (No. 595), a special issue on Agrarian Transitions, as well as the Gurgaon Workers’ Newsletter. Journals like EPW and South Asian Journal for Socio-Political Studies are in the process of reviewing our work.
We organised a convention on the issue on 19 February in the Faculty of Arts, which was chaired by Bernard D’Mello, deputy editor of the Economic and Political Weekly. Balkar Singh Dhakonda of BKU (Ekta), Vijay Jawandhia, Professor Sucha Singh Gill and Professor Amit Bhaduri were the speakers at the convention. Perspectives presented an overview of the crisis. The book is being presently translated into Hindi. Azadi Bachao Andolan of Allahabad has helped us in the work of translation.
II. College Seminars
In May 2008, seventeen students and teachers visited Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, which falls in the Vidarbha region characterised by the high rate of suicides amongst cotton farmers. We were hosted by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti and we met peasant leaders Kishore Tiwari (of VJAS) and Vijay Jawandhia of Wardha.
The book “Harvesting Despair: Agrarian Crisis in India” was published in January 2009. A review of the book appeared in the March 2009 issue of Seminar (No. 595), a special issue on Agrarian Transitions, as well as the Gurgaon Workers’ Newsletter. Journals like EPW and South Asian Journal for Socio-Political Studies are in the process of reviewing our work.
We organised a convention on the issue on 19 February in the Faculty of Arts, which was chaired by Bernard D’Mello, deputy editor of the Economic and Political Weekly. Balkar Singh Dhakonda of BKU (Ekta), Vijay Jawandhia, Professor Sucha Singh Gill and Professor Amit Bhaduri were the speakers at the convention. Perspectives presented an overview of the crisis. The book is being presently translated into Hindi. Azadi Bachao Andolan of Allahabad has helped us in the work of translation.
II. College Seminars
The first college seminar was held in Lady Shriram College in March 2007. Thereafter, college seminars on the issue of development and displacement were organised in Jesus and Mary College, St. Stephen’s, Ramjas, Miranda House, Indraprastha College for Women and Dayal Singh College in August and September 2007.
After the book on agrarian crisis was published, we undertook many college seminars in a time period of just one and a half months. These were organised in Ramjas, St. Stephen’s, Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Dayal Singh, Ramlal Anandlal (Evening), PGDAV, Department of Social Work and Lady Sriram College.
III. Discussion Meetings and Film Festivals
After the book on agrarian crisis was published, we undertook many college seminars in a time period of just one and a half months. These were organised in Ramjas, St. Stephen’s, Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Dayal Singh, Ramlal Anandlal (Evening), PGDAV, Department of Social Work and Lady Sriram College.
III. Discussion Meetings and Film Festivals
Public meetings were organised on issues and themes, which were different from the two major ones that we took up. In 2007-08, three public meetings were organised: Women’s Lives in Afghanistan (Aunohita Majumdar), Land Reforms and Acquisition before and after Independence (Kannan Kasturi), and Capitalism and Climate Change (Nagraj Adve). We also held a screening of anti-displacement films in February 2008. Films portraying the struggle in Nandigram, Orissa, slum demolitions and our own documentary film were shown.
In March 2008, Perspectives organised a film screening (Hari Bhari) and discussion on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
In September 2008, Gautam Navlakha spoke on Struggle for Azadi in Kashmir.
In August 2009, a small public meeting on the issue of Drought was organised which had Nagraj Adve along with Perspectives presenting an overview of the drought problem in India.
In September 2009, a small public meeting, 'Destruction in the Hills, Development of the Country?' where Himanshu Thakkar, Manshi Asher and Kannan Kasturi along with Perspectives discussed the problems of Dams and Hydro Electric Projects in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
IV. Other Issues/ Field Investigations
In March 2008, Perspectives organised a film screening (Hari Bhari) and discussion on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
In September 2008, Gautam Navlakha spoke on Struggle for Azadi in Kashmir.
In August 2009, a small public meeting on the issue of Drought was organised which had Nagraj Adve along with Perspectives presenting an overview of the drought problem in India.
In September 2009, a small public meeting, 'Destruction in the Hills, Development of the Country?' where Himanshu Thakkar, Manshi Asher and Kannan Kasturi along with Perspectives discussed the problems of Dams and Hydro Electric Projects in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
IV. Other Issues/ Field Investigations
Along with the two major issues that we have taken up, we have also tried to take up other issues and conduct fact findings in and around Delhi.
In December 2007, a group of Perspectives members visited Ambedkar basti in Nand Nagri to understand the working and living conditions of women workers in the unorganised sector, especially in home-based activities.
In September 2008, Perspectives visited villages in Gurgaon where Reliance is acquiring land for its SEZ and there is some opposition from the farmers on the issue of higher compensation.
In June 2009, a 6-member team from Perspectives visited Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh in June 2009 to understand the effects of run-of-the-river Hydro Electric Power projects on the livelihood of the local people and the environment. The group came out with a report on the issue titled, "Hollowing The Hills, Cementing The Profits" in September 2009 on its study and observations.
In October 2009, 14 people visited the drought hit region of Bundelkhand to understand the long-prevailing drought situation.
V. Newsletter
In December 2007, a group of Perspectives members visited Ambedkar basti in Nand Nagri to understand the working and living conditions of women workers in the unorganised sector, especially in home-based activities.
In September 2008, Perspectives visited villages in Gurgaon where Reliance is acquiring land for its SEZ and there is some opposition from the farmers on the issue of higher compensation.
In June 2009, a 6-member team from Perspectives visited Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh in June 2009 to understand the effects of run-of-the-river Hydro Electric Power projects on the livelihood of the local people and the environment. The group came out with a report on the issue titled, "Hollowing The Hills, Cementing The Profits" in September 2009 on its study and observations.
In October 2009, 14 people visited the drought hit region of Bundelkhand to understand the long-prevailing drought situation.
V. Newsletter
The first volume of the Perspectives Newsletter was brought out in March 2008, and the theme was Women’s Issues, keeping in mind the International Women’s Day.
The second volume of the Perspectives Newsletter titled 'TRANSGRESSIONS' was brought out in November 2009, with the theme being 'Higher Education'.
VI. Miscellaneous
The second volume of the Perspectives Newsletter titled 'TRANSGRESSIONS' was brought out in November 2009, with the theme being 'Higher Education'.
VI. Miscellaneous
Perspectives spoke on Special Economic Zones in a discussion meeting of People’s Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi in February 2007. It also spoke at a SEZ seminar organised by the Women’s Studies Centre of Jamia Milia Islamia in December 2008. The group attended a meeting on the agrarian crisis organised by the South Asian Dialogues for Ecological Democracy in March 2009. There was also an internal discussion meeting on the Land Acquisition Act, its recent amendment and the Chengara Struggle in Kerala in the same month. In February 2009, The Indian Express published an article about Perspectives and it's work.
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