This article introduces the problems caused by development projects (the major forms include hydel power, extractive mining, industrial development, and, currently, the special economic zones) in India. It seeks to explore the process of land appropriation, dispossession, and displacement faced by the poor and marginalised groups (Dalits and Adivasis) of the Indian society. This article is an effort to explore the historical cycles of displacement caused by such projects since independence and the active role of the government in addressing these scenarios. It further provides an overview of the various scholarly literature actively involved in this subject and how these projects ultimately lead to further marginalisation of the marginalised in the name of development.
