Desire Named Development

Over the last two decades, a predatory, neo-liberal form of capitalism has become the norm in India, and it raises uncomfortable questions. Consumption now defines who we are, and with the western capitalist model dominant, the government seems to see all of us as nothing more than consumers.

The toll on the peasantry has been heavy. The recent tragedies at Kalinganagar, Singur and Nandigram show how suddenly farmers can find themselves pitted against the power of the state. Taking agricultural land from poor farmers in the name of progress has become routine, while private corporations strip the country's natural resources with no objection from the administration.

In Desire Named Development, Aditya Nigam argues for letting go of some cherished beliefs and for reshaping the economy, and cities in particular, in new ways. He holds that substantial changes in government policy, together with changes in how individuals consume, could still open the way to a different future for India and the world.