Questions Of Environmental Justice In Kamala Markandaya’s The Coffer Dams

Abstract

The article aims to evaluate the impacts of dam construction among the varied intersections of the society as represented in select Indian discourse to elaborate the aim. The article examines the following impacts on the indigenous people – displacement, structural and environmental justice in Kamala Markandaya’s The Coffer Dams. In a post-colonial state as India – the rapid and unassuming introduction of technology-induced industrialisation and free market has contributed to the creation of the consumption based production economy. This is in contrast to the sustainable communal economy of the indigenous society which was conventional of India. Moreover, the complementary westernised knowledge and thought system had replaced the traditional knowledge system. The former influenced technocratic development and thus, encouraged the multi-purpose dam projects – as it was considered as the major milestone as a developmental model in India.