Abstract
Land acquisition legislation in India has been a subject of public debate since Independence. Guided by the socialist pattern of economy, the government initiated land reforms in India but could only partially achieve this objective due to political stronghold of landed class in rural areas. Land was, however, acquired for building dams, mines and infrastructure. Such developmental initiatives were justified as steps being taken to achieve rapid economic development necessary for public welfare in the longer run. Also, there was little resistance to land acquisition as the level of political consciousness was low and there were few unorganised political organisations to channel the voices. In the post-liberalisation period, land acquisition legislations resulted from the thrust for commercialisation and fast track industrial investments. The new model of growth based on relentless competition implicit in a market economy created immense opportunities for the expansion of private business. Pro-business governments found it imperative to make prominent changes in the existing laws to smoothen the process of land acquisition. But, such measures have faced challenges on public platforms. Resistance to land acquisition is far more organised and powerful than what it was in the past. The article studies the politics of land acquisition in the light of recent steps taken by the pro-business governments to amend land laws and the resistance faced at both institutional and societal levels.
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