Fissures of a Blue Revolution: The Ramponkars’ Response to Mechanised Fishing in Goa

Abstract

This article is a critique of the project modernity from the vantage point of an indigenous occupational community of Goa which for centuries has been pursuing sustainable livelihood practices. It revolves around the traditional occupation of fishing in the context of modernist threat it faces. Informed by the theoretical insights provided by Frank’s theory of development of underdevelopment, this article argues that our understanding of environmental change as a social process is inextricably linked with the expansion and contradiction of the world economic system. While delineating Frank’s theory of underdevelopment as theoretical support, it captures the indigenous knowledge systems of the fishing community of Goa, highlighting its ecological sensitivity. It then addresses the changes that have affected this community in the wake of enforced modernisation and development. It specifically focuses on the social movements carried out by the traditional fishermen of Goa in an attempt to protect their traditional fishing practices.