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http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1084
2023-11-28T00:56:50ZHunger and politics in West Bengal (2000-2010): In the light of right to food
http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/6096
Title: Hunger and politics in West Bengal (2000-2010): In the light of right to food
Authors: Sarkar, Santi2021-07-22T00:00:00ZPolitical Economy of Agro-Based Transformation in West Bengal
http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/5914
Title: Political Economy of Agro-Based Transformation in West Bengal
Authors: Shaw, Partha
Abstract: Agriculture plays a very significant role in the economy of the state of West Bengal from time
immemorial. It is the primary source of food security, employment generation and social
security. The land is the primary source of livelihood in the agricultural economy. Over the last
two decades, a debate has centred around the issue of land acquisition in the state which has
profoundly influenced political developments and electoral verdicts in the West Bengal. These
differing visions on land acquisition are often streamlined into binaries or opposing camps:
populist versus neoliberal; people-friendly versus business-friendly policies. As a result, the
common discourse on land reforms and land Acquisitions remains have been polarised. At the
core of the debate, there are serious matters of justice and reasonableness intertwined with
economics and politics. These debates are not just prominent now but are expected to become
more robust in the coming decades given the concerns over rural distress and the problem of
livelihoods. Social, political and economic turmoil over agricultural land is likely to become
more focussed as the state (West Bengal) struggles to address the serious encounters the
aspirations of a burgeoning young population with a continuing lack of employment. Political
assurances of doubling farmer’s incomes within a few years also create a sharp focus on the
issues of productivity, livelihood, and sustainable returns accruing from occupations
fundamental to agricultural land. As agricultural land-based incomes become stagnant for rural
communities, alternative options are required to be tried to find out the solution. Attempts were
being made for the agro-based transformation of the rural economy to explore comfortable and
steady livelihood for the rural community and alternative productive avenues and employment
opportunities. The Left Front Government tried to implement such a course of development through its policy of industrialisation based on agriculture. However, the policies adopted by
the government after coming to power repeatedly in the first decade of this century (2006)
came under serious attack from different segments including the farmers led by some political
parties and the civil society. The situation resulted in certain changes and challenges involving
social conflicts, populist policies, political legitimacy and change of political regime. Through
judicial interventions sought to resolve the legal issues involved in the process, the issues of
economic transformation and development have remained unsettled.
This study is a humble attempt to explore and analyse the course of development in the process
of agro-based transformation of economy initiated by the Government of West Bengal. This is
mainly an empirical study through linked with some historical reviews. In the study, besides
explaining the course of developments in land reforms and land acquisition policies followed
in both pre and post-independent period, attempts have been made to examine the policies and
strategies pursued by the successive united front and left front governments in West Bengal
with significant emphasis placed on the distribution of vested lands, registration of share-
croppers, through ‘Operation Barga’ and supports for the small and marginal farmers leading
to agro-based transformation for industrialisation. For this purpose, Singur and Nandigram, the
major theatre of implementation of this shift was chosen to understand the currents and cross-
currents with the help of appropriate research methodology. Through the findings of the study
cannot claim to be the final statement on the subject, it is nonetheless a serious attempt to focus
the real problem at the micro-level which may provide, in conjunction with similar such
studies, a clue to follow a realistic approach towards solution of multifarious problems of the
political economy associated with policies of agro-based transformation of rural societies in
developing countries.
The primary argument of this thesis is simple: The land debate must be refocused from its
current preoccupation with acquisition and politics of state actions to include land markets, sustainable development and public policies involving displacement and resettlement. It is
observed that the focus on politics and political solutions to a deep-rooted problem of political
economy has deflected attention from simply market-oriented approaches which, in many
situations, could be more effective mainly because of the booming service sectors and
development of real estate markets in the country. Land markets have become ever more salient
as more of India urbanises and produces new political actors sustained by real estate, land
brokerage, and mobile constituencies. It can be traced that the issues of social welfare and good
welfare outcomes - including outcomes social justice can be materialised if land markets are
integrated to the discussions and policy framework towards sustainable development involving
egalitarian and accommodative connotation. Neither markets, nor competitive politics could
provide solutions to a serious problem of political economy.2021-03-09T00:00:00ZEthnic crisis in Sri Lanka: Implications for India's security
http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/5592
Title: Ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka: Implications for India's security
Authors: Manna, Siddhartha Sankar
Abstract: Sri Lanka gained independence from colonial baggage in the year 1948. Thereafter it started moving towards development, but soon it became entangled with the gruesome ethnic conflict between the two main ethnic groups namely, the Sinhalese and the Tamils. The conflict continued for about three decades that disturbed peace and tranquility of the island nation. Intra-state armed conflict – a conflict between the government and non-governmental party without interference from any third country - added a new dimension to the ethnic problems in Sri Lanka. The ethnic plurality of Sri Lanka could have been an asset had the various ethnic groups been evenly distributed throughout the country. Sinhala are the minority in eight out of twenty-four districts. Sri Lankan Tamils on the other hand are in absolute majority in five out of these eight districts. The Tamils which were mainly concentrated in the northern and eastern part of the country regarded it their traditional homeland. Sri Lanka with the exception of Sri Lankan Tamils is largely an integrated society. However, the status of Indian Tamils even prior to independence had been a matter of controversy between the colonial rulers of India and Sri Lanka.
From the very beginning Sri Lanka was unwilling to accept the Indian Tamils as its citizens on the ground of not having permanent roots in the country. This factor made the Indian Tamils settled in Sri Lanka as stateless entity. In other words, Sri Lankan Tamils faced a problem of statelessness. It was widely anticipated and expected that over a period of time through the process of national integration this intricate ethnic problem will be mitigated, if not resolved totally. However, contrary to our expectations, the ethnic problems in Sri Lanka became more and more complicated that resulted in large scale violence across the country for decades together. The government of India had to officially intervene into the matter specifically for two reasons: (i) Identity of the Indian Tamils settled in Sri Lanka in the post-colonial period was at state due to the faulty political leadership and state policies; (ii) The government of India became conscious about security implications in view of the on-going agitation and movement on the part of the Tamils that continued for about three decades.
It important to state that the Sri Lankan long-standing ethnic conflict with all its characteristics constitute an ideal case for the analyses of relationship between the ethnic conflict and national security dilemmas between India and Sri Lanka. It is clear that the Tamil separatist struggle on an ethno-regional basis in Sri Lanka in its violent and protracted nature has been vital to the security and stability of the state. The ethnic conflict has grown to be a serious threat to the internal and external security as well as policy capacity of the state. Even though the ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka has become one of the most internationalized ethnic conflicts in the world, the constraints and incentives role played by regional and international actors were not able to
secure sustainable peace and security environment in Sri Lanka.
Further, the military victory of the Government of Sri Lanka over the LTTE is not a long-term
solution for the national security dilemmas of the Sri Lankan state. Therefore, the Sri Lankan
state should have tried to find some common ground between the federal pattern and the
existing Provincial Council pattern or for a unitary state system with certain federal features.
At the same time, it should work towards complete national unity and integration with the
aggregation of national needs, values and interests in the society and a completion of its nation
building project to protect the national security interests of the Sri Lankan state.2020-12-18T00:00:00ZDemocratic decentralization and its impact on tribal society : a case study of three blocks in the districts of Bankura and Purba Medinipur
http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1111
Title: Democratic decentralization and its impact on tribal society : a case study of three blocks in the districts of Bankura and Purba Medinipur
Authors: Murmu, Jitendra Nath
Abstract: Democratic decentralization and its impact on tribal society : a case study of three blocks in the districts of Bankura and Purba Medinipur
Description: Thesis: Ph. D., Vidyasagar University, Department of Political Science with Rural Administration, Midnapore, West Bengal, 20132013-01-01T00:00:00Z