Abstract
On 2 January 2006, the police in Kalinganagar, Orissa opened fire against a group of tribal people protesting against Tatas constructing a steel plant on their lands and not paying them adequate compensation. This tragedy killing 12 persons on the spot shocked the whole nation. But even in this tragic hour the political parties, which were not particularly concerned with the resettlement issues, lost no time in turning the incident to their advantage. With an eye on the tribal vote bank the Congress president quickly arrived on the scene to express sympathy for the victims of brutality. The BJP also tried to get mileage but was constrained by the fact that it was then part of the ruling coalition in Orissa. This paper provides a vivid account of these events, traces the root causes of this unfortunate incident, and reflects on the development path that India is currently pursuing under globalization pressures. It concludes that unless the displaced people are brought closer to decision making processes, the goal of inclusive development will remain ever more elusive.
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