Articles by Ramachandra Bhatta

This paper analyses three different types of displacement - social, cultural and economic - in the lives of three women and their families which have been affected by the creation of the Mangalore special economic zone. Conceptualising the displacements in rhythmic terms, it first details the subversion of progressive land reforms and the reassertion of caste-based oppression, followed by the clash between the dharma of the spirits of the land and the neo-liberal dharma of capitalistic development. Finally, it looks at life in a resettlement colony where families that have been uprooted from the agricultural production cycle are closed off from the urban life they are expected to adopt.

This paper attempts to assess the long-term trend in marine fish production in Karnataka using two different growth functions and analyses the changes in species composition during the past three decades. It argues that not only has there been a falling trend in production but also a change in species composition resulting in the decline of hitherto commercially important fish as well as those consumed by local communities. It suggests that this decline is not just a seasonal fluctuation but an indication of fish famine in terms of both production and accessibility.