‘May God Give Us Chaos, So That We Can Plunder’: A critique of ‘resource curse’ and conflict theories

Abstract

Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt scrutinizes the increasingly popular theories of the natural resources curse, natural resource conflicts and natural resource wars. She argues that we need to rethink the issues around resource ownership rights as well as the legal frameworks governing and controlling ownership of the mineral-rich tracts of developing countries. Based on her activist research with mining communities she shows that mineral resource management is characterized by multiple actors with their multiple voices, and it is important for us to recognize these actors and listen to their voices. Contesting the ground Some theories concerning natural resources ^ 'resource security', 'resource conflicts', 'resource wars' and 'resource curse' ^ have entered the popular domain in discussions on resources. Their simplistic and generalizing appeal instigates widespread and uncri- tical acceptance. Therefore, the hidden discourses within them threaten to undermine possible alternative explanations of mineral use by communities in the third world. In this article, Iexpose informal mining practices in order to critique the dominant percep- tions of conflicts over natural resources and to show how they delegitimize the liveli- hoods of many communities. For example, the images of 'paradox of plenty' and resource conflicts suggest deviant and unruly behaviour of the third world poor. The mi- cro-reality is much more complex, involving every day struggles of survival for millions of people in the mineral-rich tracts of these countries. Being of Indian origin, I recognize the emerging mainstream development thinking on resource boons and curses as right in line with the fatalism and deterministic ap- proach of South Asian philosophy. However, after years of working in local commu- nities, Icannot help but feel disturbed by the uncritical use of terminologies and concepts that take for granted a positivist and causal framework in explaining the rela- tionships between communities and mineral resources. My focus is not on curses and boons, but on: 'How do communities pursue livelihoods in mineral-rich tracts in