India has declared war on its poorest people in the name of development

India has declared war on its poorest people in the name of development

25 Jan 2010

Speakers: H S Narula, Urvashi Butalia, Salman Khurshid, Shoma Chaudhury, Dilip Simeon, Shrabani Basu

This Intelligence Squared debate took place on Day 5 of the Jaipur Literature Festival, 21st-25th January 2010.

Arguing in favour of the motion are Shoma Chaudhury, Shrabani Basu, and H S Narula.

Shoma Choudhury states that the only development happening in India today is from corporations forcibly seizing land from poor people, making them refugees, and then“developing” the land for their own profit.

Shrabani Basu declares the state is at war with its poorest people, because when they oppose corporate acquisition of their land, they are branded insurgents and anti-nationals.

H S Narula clarifies that he is neither for nor against the motion, but states that a currently uneven distribution of resources leads to social tension. However, the problems facing India cannot be solved without economic growth, and blaming the government is counter-productive.

Arguing against the motion are Dilip Simeon, Urvashi Butalia, and Salman Khurshid.

Dilip Simeon says that if there is war in India, it is not the state that is the worrying source of violence, but the vast numbers of insurgency groups and private armies, which, unlike the state, cannot be held accountable.

Urvashi Batalia says India is a democratic state, and this is proven in recent improvements in the circumstances of many poor people, especially women. These changes were a result of pressure from the people, therefore they cannot be at war.

Salman Khurshid says the state was democratically chosen, so it is no more accountable for the current circumstances than the people who cast the votes. He warns against blaming democracy as a system for the mistakes of a current government, which always have and always will occur.

Speakers for the motion

H S Narula

Chairman, DS Construction
Shrabani Basu

Journalist and historian
Shoma Chaudhury

Editor

Chair

Sanjoy K Roy

Managing Director, Teamwork Films

Speakers against the motion

Salman Khurshid

Indian Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs
Urvashi Butalia

Indian writer and publisher
Dilip Simeon

Indian labour historian, and chairperson of the Aman Trust