The ‘Missing Conflict’ of the Sabarmati Riverfront. Authoritarian Governance, Neoliberalism and Water in Ahmedabad, India

Though the liberalization of the economy in 1991 affected India as a whole, the state of Gujarat and the city of Ahmedabad have been undergoing the most dramatic changes in the country. The Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project in Ahmedabad, one of the largest urban regeneration projects in India, was conceived in its final shape in that context, soon becoming the flagship project of the new ruling party. The article engages with the evolution of the project, reflecting on the apparent absence of a conflict that many observers would have expected to occur given the scale of the intervention, as well as its social and environmental consequences. Some episodes of contention related to a few controversial issues are identified in the article, which highlights on the other hand the presence of a consolidated system of power, as well of dissent management on multiple scales. A strong ideological system which combines different narratives (development, global competition, fear and security, purity and cleanliness) underpins the Sabarmati riverfront development in Ahmedabad. Such narratives proved to be appealing in particular for the local middle-class, which identifies itself with the message of the far-right Hindu government: the respect of religious traditions, alongside with an effort to conform to international development standards