Development induced displacement is accompanied by what displacement specialists call the resettlement effect, which defined the ‘loss of physical and non-physical assets, including houses, communities, productive land, income earning assets and sources, subsistence resources, cultural sites, social structures, networks and ties, cultural identities and mutual help mechanisms’.

Involuntary resettlement whether due to natural calamity or at the cost of any development project adversely affects the way of life of the people. Incase of resettlement where the extent of displacement is known well in advance, as in the cases of development projects, we are still in the process of working out at a fair compensation to the ‘Project Affected Persons’.

While we examine the widely applied Land Acquisition Act 1894 for compulsory acquisition of land for ‘public purpose’, the term that is at the centre of controversy, which upholds the theory of ‘preeminent domain’ and legitimizes the use of coercive force of the state, one can find the reality that the clauses of Land Acquisition Act that speak of compensation, do not in spirit reflect the moral responsibility of the state on ‘Rehabilitation and Resettlement’. we have come to a stage where the Government has formulated the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill. However, as per the words of Woodrow Wilson, that making of a constitution is easier than executing it, there are still issues unaddressed with respect to Rehabilitation and Resettlement in India, which could be the lack of institutionalism and monetary mechanisms for R&R, absence of mechanisms to synchronize local bodies in the process, the need for the Constitution of special Tribunals for Rehabilitation etc. Therefore the need of the hour is to contemplate on the theoretical, institutional and impact assessment dimensions of R&R mechanisms and arrive at a workable, pragmatic solutions.

With this as the rationale of the Seminar, the Centre for Rural Studies, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie – 248 179 under financial support from the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, will be organizing a two day National Seminar on “Rehabilitation and Resettlement Issues in India” on the 7th and 8th August, 2008.
The two day national seminar is structured into the following sub themes, but not limited to:- 1. Revisiting National Policy on Rehabilitation and Resettlement
2. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and R & R Issues
3. Participatory Development and the role of NGO’s in Rehabilitative Mechanisms
4. Rehabilitation and Resettlement aftermath natural calamities
5. Administrative Experiences on Rehabilitation and Resettlement in Indian states
6. Socio-Cultural and livelihood issues pertaining to R&R At the end the second day, on 8th August 2008, a group discussion shall be organized involving the participants to make specific recommendations and suggestions to MoRD, Government of India in this regard.

We encourage Researchers especially at PhD level and academics with proven track of record working in this area to send their abstracts. The seminar organizers shall make arrangements for the availability of slide presentation/ OHP’s/ flip charts etc. to the paper presenters.

As an austerity measure, those participants entitled for air travel are informed that restricted economy class apex fares shall be paid to them. In the cases of travel by participants performed by their own vehicles, the expenses so incurred will be reimbursed as per TA Rules of Government of India. The seminar participants will be reimbursed their travel expenses once they produce their travel documents in original to the organizers of the seminar, after returning to their respective Institutions from the Seminar venue. The Seminar Organizers will not be in a position to provide hospitality for accompanying friends and family members.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Last date for the submission of the abstract: 15.05.2008.
Selected abstracts shall be notified individually by 31.05.2008.
The last date for submission of full text papers (in about 7000 words with due attention to footnotes, bibliography etc):
15.06.2008.
Issue of formal letter of invitation to the participants: 30.06.2008.
Date of Seminar: 07.08.2008 & 08.08.2008.
The abstracts may be sent via email to (i)
varunvsingh@lbsnaa.ernet.in or haricharan@lbsnaa.ernet.in. The participants may also send their abstracts by post to the organizers or fax them to 0135-2632350/ 0135-2632720.
In case of any informal queries, Dr. Varunendra Vikram Singh or Shri Hari Charan Behera, Research Associates, Centre for Rural Studies, LBSNAA may be contacted at phone number – 0135-2630844.