The Political Dynamics of Grassischolar_mains Environment-Development Struggles:The Case Study of the Struggle against the Enron Power Project

This paper follows up with the paper by the same author published in the July-September 1997 issue of this Journal. This paper is also divided into two main parts. In Part I, a framework for analysis of struggles by local communities against development projects is discussed in brief. This framework has already been discussed in detail in the earlier paper mentioned before.

In Part II of this paper, the struggle against the Enron power project by local communities in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra state is analysed at some length. Following the framework described in Part I, the discussion in Part II elaborates, first, on the details of the project and the contentious issues and, then, on the main actors in the controversy. It also presents a brief chronology of major events in the grassischolar_mains struggle. Finally, using the seven steps outlined in the framework, the discussion in Part II systematically analyses the political dynamics of the struggle in order to understand the failure of the movement to discontinue the project.