Unfolding the Enigma of Dispossession in India: An Analysis of the Discourse on Land Grabbing

Abstract

A discourse analysis of land grabbing literature, in general, reveals that it is dominated by the political economy approach, and that dispossession remains a governing theme. But dispossession due to land grabbing in India is not that simple. It is contingent upon the cultural subjectivities such as gender, caste, indigeneity, region and religion, which are local relations of power impacting land use and possession. In fact, the empirical studies prove the inseparability of the sociocultural realm with the economics of state-led land expropriation or market compulsion in the country. Thus, it is imperative to understand that the experiences of land grabbing and dispossession are highly contextual and diverse with an assemblage of perceptions over land.