The Micropolitics of Dispossession and Resistance: Case Study of a Proposed Dam in Central India

This article presents a study of the micropolitics of dispossession for a proposed medium‐sized irrigation project in an Adivasi region of Central India. The article explores the complex micropolitics of dispossession and collective action in the project planning stage, long before the formal processes of land acquisition actually begin. It highlights the importance of training the researchers’ gaze on the functioning of the local state in the pre‐acquisition phase. It shows how the local state uses various powers of exclusion to fracture emerging cross‐class, multi‐caste alliances, while maintaining formal compliance with a range of social safeguard policies aimed at protecting vulnerable groups and fragile landscapes. The ‘everyday’ decisions of local state actors during the project planning stage produce site‐specific, differentiated and shifting matrices of risks and opportunities for the local people, who are already divided along class and caste lines. This, in turn, is likely to inform their political responses at the actual moment of enclosure. Thus the durability and success of anti‐dispossession collective action is likely to vary depending on the dynamic interactions of local state and non‐state actors, mediated by regional electoral politics and the overall safeguard policy regime governing land acquisition.     

THE TRUE COLORS OF DALAI LAMA

The International Shugden Community organized a protest for religious freedom in Italy on June 14th and 15th at the Modigliani forum. I was fortunate to attend this protest organized by the International Shugden Community and 500 other supporters from 15 to 20 countries to ask the Dalai Lama to stop lying and allow religious freedom to all.     

DRIVERS' STORIES IN THE HIGHLAND

According to the older generation,the sun in winter has its own master,in particularly in Tibet.This is a good season to enjoy drinking tea while basking in sunlight and listening to stories.In the winter of 2009,I made an appointment with Tsering,Lhadon,Mr.Liu and Mr. Qian who had all previously served with the Lhasa Transportation Company.We sat together in the garden of the former transportation company chatting in the sun about the life of drivers who we called the True men of Tibet or Emperors behin...     

The Dalai Lama’s True Face简

The uphill battle for religious freedom
Not from any particular government, but this time it is from the Dalai Lama himself who personally claims to be a champion of religious freedom. Yet he only champions those who follow him, anyone else is persecuted and segregated.     

DORJE SHUGDEN PRACTITIONERS' SEGREGATION BY THE DALAI LAMA——A REPORT FROM ROME

<正>December 17,2014I,as a stonemason from Tibet,for the first time,am visiting the ancient city of Rome,Italy known for thousands of massive,impressive marble and granite stone structures.We saw the Vatican,the Basilica and then to the Coliseum and many others.The stone work and art here with     

ETHNIC TIBETAN WINE VESSELS

Whenever speaking of the wines of ethnic Tibet, people may firstly think of the Tibetan word Chang - barley wine. Though there is no clear record in the literature of the history of the brewing industry in Tibet,     

Knowledge Changes Fate - Stories of Three Generations of Women Seeking Knowledge

Abeautiful place called Tsomey Village is situated in the valley on the west bank of the Tohlung River in Mar Town of Tohlung Deche County. Dondrup Drolma, a 62-year-old Tibetan lady, has retired from ber previous post as the director of the local women＇s federation. Evenso, she looks healthy and has a healthy body shape. Her appearance does not show any sign of the obesity usually resulting from old age.     

SONAM SEARCH HOPES FROM FLOWERS

Sonam was the last woman I interviewed in Tibet.In her workplace,a big plastic tent planted with flowers, I met her while she was pruning carnations.This slim lady farmer from the suburbs of Lhasa Municipality looked a little depressed.Sure enough,later in the interview,she revealed she was divorced and a single mother.Due to the language barrier,our communication had to rely on the translation by a technician who could understand Chinese perfectively.Sonam's voice was very low but she spoke at a rapid p...