Abstract
Outcomes of resettlement are indeed very important and deservedly receive most attention in academic studies, yet, in this chapter, we examine a relatively less-researched aspect of the process of “displacement and resettlement” as there is a serious knowledge gap on “doing and living” displacement and resettlement. We bring in a comparative dimension between Colombo, which is a post-conflict setting and Cochin that is a more stable locale compared to Colombo. This chapter brings out affected people’s reflections on their “living” through processes of DIDR in Colombo and Cochin. Development-induced displacement and resettlement is an immanent reality for important social sub-sections of the population such as urban slum dwellers in Colombo and Cochin. The government, which came into power in 2005 in Sri Lanka, embarked on a multifaceted “urban regeneration programme”, which included, among others, city beautification, tourist hotels, urban and recreation facilities, a port city, and apartment complexes in the capital. The change of governments in 2015 or in 2020 has not significantly changed the aims or outlook of the URP. In Cochin, the growing port city in Ernakulam, Kerala has been able to attract large-scale investments that has led to the initiation of several mega development projects, which in turn have brought about the eviction of large numbers of slum dwellers. Taking the two cities as cases, this chapter argues that the processes followed in both cities have left some sections of the population subjectively feeling marginalized, or unsatisfied and that the process followed does not conform to the globally accepted social safeguard policies and standards, although the projects have improved material well-being for the affected populations to varying degrees.
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Notes
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Niwasen means literary from House which means National Housing Development Authority (NHDA). However, it is probable that he refers to UDA as HNDA does not engage in demolition of existing houses but rather builds houses for middle class.
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Greencard is tax payment confirmation document issued by the Colombo municipality. It confirms that the holder has lived in a particular location and household and accords some legal rights to the holder. It does not however give ownership of a property to the holder.
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In most of South Asia, JCB is used to refer to Bulldozer/excavator.
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‘Thamusela’ in contemporary usage literary means “You people” but in a disrespectful way.
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Herath, D., Lakshman, R.W.D., Rajan, S.I., Cherian, A.P. (2023). De-Housing and Re-Housing—Evictee’s Reflections on the Process: The Experiences of Relocation in Colombo and Cochin. In: Lakshman, R.W.D., Rajan, S.I. (eds) Forced Migration and Urban Transformation in South Asia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6179-5_5
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