Silenced Stream: Capital Interest and Water Politics in Drought Areas of Ajodhya Hill Region, Purulia, West Bengal

Water and forest resources play a crucial role for the poor tribal community of the global south to sustain their life and livelihood. Thus resource management is integral in uplifting the well-being of the tribal poor. Ajodhya Hills, situated in a drought-prone region, faces significant challenges in governing resources like water and forest upon which the tribal community depends. While most of the studies focus on the implications of the hydroelectric projects, including the displacement of marginalized communities and alterations to the local environment, there is a need to understand how capital-driven decisions and the interests of multiple actors create contestations and thereby drive disproportionate impacts on marginalized populations. By examining the silenced narratives of affected communities, this study reveals how resource governance shapes indigenous rights by affecting resource allocation and distribution. Additionally, this study also underscores the power structure that perpetuate inequalities, making the marginalized community more vulnerable and causing both social unrest and environmental problems. An analysis of the vulnerability of local commons in the drought-prone environment, therefore, needs to take into account how discourses and sociopolitical relations shape resource governance.