https://ir.vidyasagar.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/78 2026-04-26T07:49:29Z 2026-04-26T07:49:29Z Sarkar, Santi https://ir.vidyasagar.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/6096 2021-08-11T08:17:44Z 2021-07-22T00:00:00Z

Title: Hunger and politics in West Bengal (2000-2010): In the light of right to food Authors: Sarkar, Santi

2021-07-22T00:00:00Z Shaw, Partha https://ir.vidyasagar.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/5914 2021-03-12T09:47:10Z 2021-03-09T00:00:00Z

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.

2021-03-09T00:00:00Z Manna, Siddhartha Sankar https://ir.vidyasagar.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/5592 2021-01-13T09:30:34Z 2020-12-18T00:00:00Z

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.

2020-12-18T00:00:00Z Murmu, Jitendra Nath https://ir.vidyasagar.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/1111 2016-12-24T01:33:43Z 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

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, 2013

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z