In the Belly of the River

As the Sardar Sarovar dam reaches completion, submergence is a stark reality for the Bhilala adivasis in the Narmada valley. In this edition, the author revisits Anjanvara, her field of enquiry, to tell readers the poignant tale of the death of a river and the displacement of a people. This book will interest students of sociology, cultural anthropology, development studies, and environmental politics.

About the Author:

Amita Baviskar is the Ciriacy-Wantrup Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley.

Excerpts from Review:

'This book is a moving and well-documented account of the struggle of the NBA, from the perspective of the Bhilala tribe.'

- Nivedita Menon, Book Review

'[The book] propagates the need for critical reflectivity and the construction of knowledge through intersubjectivity.'

- Sujata Pate, Biblio

'[Baviskar] challenges the notion of an innate conservationist ethic shared by tribals and other forest dwellers; analyses the role of researchers compounded by the dilemmas of activism; and explores the complexities of movements which fight for tribal rights.'

- Nandini Sundar, Indian Economic and Social History Review

'Amita Baviskar provides what might well be the most succinct and unreluctantly partisan summary of the Sardar Sarovar Project.'

- Krishna Raj, Economic and Political Weekly

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