Unequal Lives and Shared Spaces: Relocating Caste Inequalities in Displacement

Naya Ambhora, a multi-caste agrarian settlement in Maharashtra, Central India, emerged from the displacement of four villages submerged by the Gosikhurd dam. Over 15 years have passed since this once-thriving farmland was transformed into a resettlement site, leaving behind submerged ruins and fractured communities across an altered riverine landscape. What has become of the farmers, daily labourers, small merchants and fishermen who once lived there? Have caste-based inequalities endured, or have they taken new forms? This article builds on previous analyses of displacement in Naya Ambhora, offering a deeper examination of its material and symbolic dimensions in relation to caste. It highlights how resettlement policies often reinforce existing caste and class inequalities, exacerbating disparities precisely when communities most need stability. By exploring how displaced families navigate the inequitable realities of resettlement—whether by bypassing, resisting or adapting to them—this study provides critical insights into the long-term impacts of displacement, particularly for scholars and policymakers seeking to understand the intersection of caste and forced displacement.