ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES OF INDIGENOUS LOTHA COMMUNITY: A STUDY OF DOYANG DAM RESETTLEMENT AREA IN NAGALAND

Abstract

Development-induced displacement resulted in the disruption of age-old ecological conditions among the indigenous populations worldwide. Indigenous communities who cherish a symbiotic relationship with their natural habitat were forced to evict due to the exploitation of rich natural resources in hydro-electric projects to cater to human beings’ modern needs. The present study focuses on the Lotha-Nagas, from the state of Nagaland in India, who belong to the Doyang Hydro-electric project’s resettled population in Wokha district, Nagaland. The study uses Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) model to analyse the adaptation process of the Lotha tribe in the resettlement area. The study’s findings reveal that the displaced community faced challenges in terms of loss of livelihood opportunities in agriculture, imbalance in ecology, and poor transport and education facilities. This paper argues that in the process of resettlement, few elite families have become the most significant beneficiaries. In contrast, the ordinary people struggled in the resettled area, which further led to the community disarticulation despite occasional visits to their ancestral homes.