Land Speculation in India

By Prema Nair

As two examples from South India show, coastal areas are under severe pressure of land speculation. Prema Nair describes how in Mararikulam, in the state of Kerala, land speculators persuade fishermen to sell their land, effectively displacing them from their homes and livelihoods. In the fishing village of Kovalam in Kanyakumari District (Tamil Nadu), a pro-active approach by the local self-government and village assembly has helped to protect the village against such developments. Land in Kovalam is not to be sold to outsiders and the villagers remain in control of the land use patterns in their community.