New Books in Economics India’s Land Mafia: A Discussion with Chiara Arnavas
Jan 24, 2025
Chiara Arnavas, a Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oslo, delves into the complex world of India's land mafia, especially in West Bengal. She discusses how the land mafia has emerged as a powerful player in the land market, manipulating transactions for mega-profits. Arnavas highlights the social inequalities exacerbated by these operations, revealing a disturbing nexus between land mafia and state power. Topics include environmental inequality and the marginalization of Muslim communities, showcasing the intricate dynamics of class, caste, and religion in this grim landscape.
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Land Mafia Definition
- In India, "land mafia" refers to illegal land acquisition and extortion, often connected to the country's neoliberal land regimes.
- It became prevalent since the 1990s, coinciding with India's economic liberalization.
Unexpected Fieldwork
- Chiara Arnavas's research on land dispossession in West Bengal took an unexpected turn when she discovered the involvement of former protesters in land mafia.
- This led her to investigate the complexities of land mafia and challenge the victim-perpetrator dichotomy.
Interweaving of Mafia and State
- The relationship between land mafia and the state in India is not antagonistic but interwoven, with varying levels of benefit for those involved.
- Chiara Arnavas argues for looking at this "interweaving" as uneven, acknowledging the inequalities within the system.