Development By Coercion or Consent? – Understanding the ‘Dravidian Model’ of Development

The post-liberal period is considered the ‘Developmental Epoch’ in the Indian growth story owing to the significant policy changes that the period has brought in. The contentious issue of land dispossession was an essential aspect of this developmental paradigm and is debated widely. This debate focuses on the significant role of the state in land dispossession. In the Indian context, Land is an essential asset, and it directly shapes the livelihoods of rural and urban fringe populations. The state's active involvement in land transactions adds complexity to the issue of land dispossession for the developmental activities. Michael Levien (2013) refers to India's national and sub-national governments as a 'Land Broker State,' highlighting the state's central role in land dispossession.

Tamilnadu, a state in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, is not an exception to this 'Regime of Dispossession.' Here, the state dispossesses people and acquires land directly or through its associated agencies. The state wields significant power in classifying, coding, and determining land usage, crucial tools that set the speculative aspects related to land in motion. Through its various policy frameworks, the state alters how land is utilized in multiple places, thereby influencing the role of private and community-owned land in rural agrarian structures.

This paper delves into the role of various para-statal agencies in the post-liberal period, particularly in Tamilnadu, in shaping the institutional structures in practice. It explores three key questions. First, it examines how land is administered. Second, it investigates the role of para-statal agencies in shaping this informality. Third, it explores how people negotiate and maneuver these policy changes. This paper aims to develop a theoretical understanding of the land dispossession process and its unfolding in a regional context by dissecting these aspects.