No Place for Us — Class 5 CBSE EVS (CBSE)
Based on the NCERT Looking Around Grade 5 textbook. Understand what happens when people are displaced by development projects, then solve the practice set.
1. Why this chapter matters
Big development projects like dams, mines, and factories sometimes require people to leave their homes and land. This chapter tells the story of families who were displaced by the building of a dam. It explores the loss of home, community, and livelihood. Students learn about the Narmada Bachao Andolan — a movement to protect the rights of people affected by dams on the Narmada River. The chapter raises questions about who benefits from development and who pays the cost.
2. The story of displacement
The chapter follows a family that lived in a village for generations. When a big dam was built nearby, their village was submerged (flooded). They were given some money and a new place to live. But the new place was unfamiliar, the land was not as fertile, and they missed their old home and community.
What they lost
| What they had before | What happened |
|---|---|
| Ancestral home | Submerged by water |
| Fertile farmland | Gone under water |
| Neighbours and community | Scattered to different places |
| Familiar surroundings | Replaced by unfamiliar land |
| Traditional way of life | Disrupted completely |
What they got (compensation)
- Some money for their lost land and home.
- A plot of land in a new location (often less fertile).
- A new house (sometimes poorly built).
- Very little support for adjusting to the new place.
3. The Narmada Bachao Andolan
The Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada Movement) is a social movement started in the 1980s. It protests against the construction of large dams on the Narmada River.
Key facts
- The Narmada River flows through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
- The Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is one of the largest dams in India.
- Over 200,000 people were displaced by the various dams on the Narmada.
- The movement was led by social activists like Medha Patkar and Baba Amte.
- It demanded proper rehabilitation for displaced people.
What the movement achieved
- Better compensation for displaced families.
- Public awareness about the costs of big dams.
- Supreme Court rulings on rehabilitation rights.
- A debate on whether big dams are the best way to provide water and electricity.
4. Development vs displacement
Development projects can bring benefits:
| Benefits of dams | Costs of dams |
|---|---|
| Water for irrigation | People lose their homes |
| Electricity generation | Fertile land is submerged |
| Flood control | Forests and wildlife are destroyed |
| Drinking water for cities | Communities are broken up |
The question is: who gets the benefits, and who pays the costs? Often, the people who lose their homes are poor farmers and tribal communities, while the benefits go to cities and industries far away.
5. Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation means helping displaced people settle in a new place.
What good rehabilitation should include
- Fertile land of equal size.
- A proper house.
- Community facilities (school, hospital, temple).
- Job opportunities.
- Help with adjusting to the new place.
- Preserving community ties (moving people together).
Reality
Often, rehabilitation is poorly done. People get:
- Less land than they lost.
- Poor quality land.
- No jobs or income support.
- Broken communities.
6. Activity corner
Activity 1: Find out if there is a dam or large construction project in your state. Ask elders about whether anyone had to move because of it.
Activity 2: Write a short paragraph about how you would feel if you had to leave your home forever.
Activity 3: Discuss in class: 'Is it fair to displace people for a dam that benefits thousands of others?' Write down different viewpoints.
7. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Thinking dams have only benefits and no costs Fix: Dams provide water and electricity but also displace people, submerge land, and damage ecosystems.
- Mistake: Believing displaced people are always happily resettled Fix: Many displaced people face years of struggle for proper compensation and rehabilitation.
- Mistake: Confusing Narmada Bachao Andolan with a political party Fix: It is a social movement, not a political party. It fights for the rights of displaced people.
8. Key facts
- Large dams displace thousands of families and submerge villages.
- The Narmada Bachao Andolan fights for the rights of people displaced by Narmada dams.
- Medha Patkar and Baba Amte were key leaders of the movement.
- Rehabilitation: helping people settle in new places.
- Good rehabilitation must include land, housing, jobs, and community.
- Development should not come at the cost of poor and vulnerable people.
9. Self-test
- Why are people displaced when a dam is built?
- What is the Narmada Bachao Andolan?
- Name one leader of the movement.
- What should good rehabilitation include?
- What is the main issue raised by this chapter?
10. Answer key
-
Why are people displaced when a dam is built? Answer: Their villages and farmland get submerged under water when the dam's reservoir fills up.
-
What is the Narmada Bachao Andolan? Answer: A social movement that protests against the construction of large dams on the Narmada River and demands proper rehabilitation for displaced people.
-
Name one leader of the movement. Answer: Medha Patkar or Baba Amte.
-
What should good rehabilitation include? Answer: Fertile land, a proper house, schools, hospitals, job opportunities, and preserving community ties.
-
What is the main issue raised by this chapter? Answer: Development projects often displace poor people who lose their homes and livelihoods. We must ask who benefits and who pays the cost, and ensure proper rehabilitation.
11. Quick revision
- Dams provide water and electricity but displace people.
- Narmada Bachao Andolan: fights for displaced people's rights.
- Leaders: Medha Patkar, Baba Amte.
- Displacement: loss of home, land, community, and way of life.
- Rehabilitation: often inadequate.
- Development must be balanced with justice for affected people.
- Think about who benefits and who pays the cost of development.
- Respect the rights of displaced communities.
