Displaced Due to Conservation and Tourism in the Heart of India: A Review of the Relevant Policies

Madhya Pradesh (MP) is a central Indian state positioned as the heart of India. The MP tourism board undertakes the responsibility of developing tourism in the state with the aim of promoting sustainable form of tourism. One of the key attractions promoted is the wide range of wildlife destinations in conservation areas, which has displaced many local indigenous communities. The main aim of paper is to review the relevant policies concerning the wildlife tourism product in MP to examine the involvement of the indigenous local communities and highlight their plight due to displacement. This paper utilizes a critical interpretive lens in reviewing the policies and the concerned acts. Findings highlight three areas of concern; firstly, there is a lack of clear information on how wild life tourism would be developed, implemented and governed. Secondly, the relevant policies do not mention the involvement of the local indigenous community or their issues and finally the policies does not clearly address the displaced indigenous communities’ issues while subsisting to a sustainable tourism vision. Implications for … are discussed.