The Politics of Grandeur: Critiquing India's Mega-Infrastructure Projects
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Current Events of National Importance (Major infrastructure projects like Chenab Bridge, Statue of Unity), Indian Polity & Governance.
Mains:
GS Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India; Social empowerment, regionalism.
GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; Development processes and the development industry; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections.
GS Paper 3: Infrastructure; Investment models; Inclusive growth; Conservation, environmental impact assessment.
Essay: Topics related to development models, nationalism, inclusion vs. growth, etc.
Key Highlights from the News
Core Idea: The article argues that India's recent focus on large infrastructure projects (e.g., Chenab Bridge, Statue of Unity) is not merely about development, but rather a "politics of imagery."
Objective: The goal is to create a nationalist spectacle, turning citizens into spectators who admire these colossal structures, rather than active participants.
Critique: This approach ignores several major issues:
Distributive Justice: The question of who truly benefits from the enormous sums spent on these projects is ignored.
Exclusion of Marginalized: These projects often displace marginal communities like tribal people from their land.
Lack of Democratic Participation: These projects are often implemented without listening to public opinion and by bypassing legal procedures. This weakens participatory democracy.
Historical Comparison: The article points out that ancient Indian structures like stepwells and irrigation systems served society more than the rulers.
Conclusion: True national achievement should not be measured by the size of structures, but by how many lives they touched, how many voices were heard, and how many spaces were opened up for everyone.
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