New Books In South Asian Studies

The small Indian state of Goa has witnessed a veritable land rush over many decades, with shifting state governments, leading politicians, and private investors moving in to acquire large tracts of land for a wide range of projects. But what are the drivers of land grabbing in Goa? And what are the consequences for local communities and the environment? In this episode, we discuss these questions with the authors of the recently published book The Great Goa Land Grab. Based on extensive fieldwork carried out over 15 years, The Great Goa Land Grab unpacks how political and economic interests in the state have aligned to capture predominantly agricultural land in Goa, transforming it to industrial enclaves, real estate, and infrastructure, often with decidedly negative consequences. By bringing the Goan experience into conversation with a larger literature on land politics in contemporary India, the authors show how the specific cases of land dispossession and community marginalization taking place in Goa are n