Volume-II, Special Issue, March 2026
Novel Insights A Peer-Reviewed Quarterly Multidisciplinary Research Journal |
Volume-II, Special Issue, March 2026 |
Development vs. Deforestation: Analyzing the Framing of the Deocha-Pachami Coal Project on social media and its Impact on Political Discourse in Bengal Amrita Mukherjee, Research Scholar, Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication, Berhampur University, West Bengal, India Email: amritamukherjeee@gmail.com |
Received: 14.03.2026 | Accepted: 21.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 |
Page No: 72-79 | DOI: 10.69655/novelinsights.vol.2.issue.specialW.90 | |
Abstract | ||
The Deocha-Pachami Coal Project in Birbhum, West Bengal, is a classic example of the clash between economic growth and environmental preservation. The project's positive aspects include the world's biggest coal mine with a reserve of more than 1.2 billion tonnes, an investment of ₹35,000 crores, and provision of up to 100,000 jobs along with improvement in energy security. Conversely, the project has been criticized for the cutting down of trees, the relocating of over 21,000 Adivasi people, and damage to wildlife which in turn has created divided views on social media that affect Bengal’s political climate. The objectives are - 1) spot the major frames in social media talks like "economic development" vs. "environmental injustice"; (2) go through the influence of these frames on public opinion; and (3) analyse their contribution to political polarisation, The study used a mixed-methods approach that included qualitative content analysis of existing X (formerly Twitter) posts done through thematic coding and quantitative sentiment analysis with the help of tools such as Python's NLTK and NetworkX for interaction mapping. Posts were selected using keywords like "Deocha Pachami Coal Project" and hashtags. The analysis goes from January 2021 (the announcement of the project) to December 2025 (continuing protests, the start of mining, and corruption claims), covering such important dates as elections and tender processes. This paper dissects how competing frames emerge, propagate, and polarize opinions, drawing on theoretical lenses to reveal their broader implications for democratic deliberation and sustainable governance. Keywords: Ethics, Moral Crisis, Dharma, Conflict, Consciousness | ||