The ‘Anti-politics machine’ in India: Depoliticisation through local institution building for participatory watershed development Export

@article{citeulike:1682733, abstract = {This article investigates the rationale and implications of creating non-elected community-based bodies for India's national watershed development programme in 1994. A discourse of depoliticisation is in use to justify the creation of \‘apolitical\’ watershed committees in contrast to \‘political\’ panchayats, ostensibly unsuitable for participatory development for their embodiment of political contestation and vested interests. The discourse masks conflicts between key actors in India's development process and is highly malleable, acquiring pertinent meanings in specific contexts. Case-study evidence from two project villages in a south Indian district shows that the attempt to depoliticise this programme of panchayat politics fails, but sets up the ground for depoliticisation of another sort, by distancing watershed project spaces from pro-poor progressive politics.}, author = {Chhotray, Vasudha}, citeulike-article-id = {1682733}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220380701466526}, doi = {10.1080/00220380701466526}, journal = {Journal of Development Studies}, keywords = {governance, natural\_resources, participation, partnership}, number = {6}, pages = {1037--1056}, posted-at = {2007-09-21 16:22:40}, priority = {4}, publisher = {Routledge}, title = {The \‘Anti-politics machine\’ in India: Depoliticisation through local institution building for participatory watershed development}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220380701466526}, volume = {43}, year = {2007} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:1682733 L3 - citeulike-article-id:1682733 N2 - This article investigates the rationale and implications of creating non-elected community-based bodies for India's national watershed development programme in 1994. A discourse of depoliticisation is in use to justify the creation of ‘apolitical’ watershed committees in contrast to ‘political’ panchayats, ostensibly unsuitable for participatory development for their embodiment of political contestation and vested interests. The discourse masks conflicts between key actors in India's development process and is highly malleable, acquiring pertinent meanings in specific contexts. Case-study evidence from two project villages in a south Indian district shows that the attempt to depoliticise this programme of panchayat politics fails, but sets up the ground for depoliticisation of another sort, by distancing watershed project spaces from pro-poor progressive politics. IS - 6 JF - Journal of Development Studies EP - 1056 TI - The ‘Anti-politics machine’ in India: Depoliticisation through local institution building for participatory watershed development PB - Routledge VL - 43 SP - 1037 KW - governance KW - natural_resources KW - participation KW - partnership AU - Chhotray, Vasudha PY - 2007/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220380701466526 ER -