Whose idea of development is it anyway? Smriti Gupta and Sohinee Thakurta Apr 04, 2022 https://www.villagesquare.in/whose-idea-of-development-is-it-anyway/
For two development professionals: ‘white man’s burden’ is still visible in the ongoing efforts for the upliftment of the marginalised. as development professionals, we have observed numerous instances of development being forced on people; supposedly because they do not know what is best for them.
For the government, it is only a village that got displaced. It’s a cost-benefit assessment, where the benefits significantly outweigh the cost of displacement. However, the long intergenerational trauma caused by displacement is ignored. It is essential to consult and carefully listen to those for whom the developmental effort is meant. It is the responsibility of those in power to give voice to the voiceless. To perceive what they signal and enable them to speak by creating appropriate spaces.