Examining Disruptions of Social Systems due to Large Dam Projects in the North East

Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, India

^* Corresponding author: varun.phd21@iimshillong.ac.in

Abstract

The vulnerability of the tribals to lose more than the commodity value of land due to large dam projects in the North East has not been given due attention both in policy space and empirical research. Also, the question of whether the living standards of the already displaced tribals have improved after dam construction has not been treated with rigour. The paper tries to disaggregate the social disruption effects of large dam construction along the lines of gender, religious identity and ethnic conflicts and question the conventional economics of resettlement. The study examines the claimed effects (and benefits) of large dams on tribal communities made in non-empirical papers and government documents using available real-world examples from the north-east. The study also validates the findings from the literature through a sentiment analysis of newspaper articles and a public opinion survey of dams in the north-east. This crossexamination is expected to serve as a foundation for further empirical research.