New Documentary on Modernization and Indigenous Tribes in India

The film, “Dammed but Not Damned,” is based on field research by Cato scholar Swami Aiyar and Columbia University professor Neeraj Kaushal, who surveyed 1,200 forest tribe families. When the relocation occurred, some forest tribes who lived deep in the forest or above the waterline did not move. That allowed the researchers to conduct a sort of controlled experiment, comparing the resettled families with their former neighbors. Contrary to claims that the resettled forest tribes would be taken advantage of and become paupers, Aiyar and Neeraj found that their standard of living notably improved, exceeding that of the forest tribes that stayed behind. On a range of indicators-land and asset ownership, housing quality, agricultural practices, access to schools and hospitals-the relocated families were better off.
For more information: www.cato.org/blog/new-documen...
To view the documentary in full: www.hotstar.com/us/dammed-but...

[@Dev-zr8si]

As someone who lives in India this video was a pleasant surprise (Although I preferred reading the blog post). Hope the documentary does well.

[@sunilchavan1213]

Sadly, this depicts only one side of the story. It is quite unfair to say they were farming 'illegaly". In fact now a court ruling gives them right to the forest. Secondly, we decide that owning a motorcycle or a computer is what the Tribal wanted. We should ask them. Secondly what about millions of ousted tribal who are still languishing in tin sheds with no land and no livelihood options. It would have been a balanced picture if their plight was also mentioned anywhere.