Critical examine the recent agrarian movements arising out of the capitalistic contradictions in India
INTRODUCTION
Agrarian movements are an integral part of an agrarian system
and reflect the changes which are developing internally in the structure of the
agrarian system or in relation to it. In this unit, concepts pertaining to the
agrarian system, the agrarian class and social movements are discussed. A
reasonable understanding of these is necessary for appreciating the context
which gives rise to agrarian movements. The unit will also identify the main
agrarian movements, trace their development and describe their features
Considering the size of the country, the diversity, the long history of
agrarian struggles and their inadequate documentation, it is very difficult to
present and explain details about all the agrarian movements in India. It is
still possible, however, to capture some of the major movements, examine their
significance with reference to the context within which they developed, and the
consequences they had for the agrarian conditiona in particular and for the
Indian society in general.
Agrarian movements do not take place in industrial or urban
settings, although they may draw support from sections of population in these
sectors, or may even have alliances with them for achieving a larger political
goal. Basically, these movements arise within agrarian systems. The dictionary
meaning of the word ‘agrarian’, stated briefly, is that pertaining to
cultivated or agricultural land (and its tenure); related to cultivated land or
its management or distribution. The term ‘agrarianism’ refers to movements for
the division of land and changes which would improve the economic status of the
farmers, methods, more or less controlled, to bring about changes in the
existing pattern of land ownership and operations that involve not only the
diffusion of wealth, income and productive capacity in the economy, but also
the creation of new incentives and opportunities for increased productivity,
income and employment. Finally, ‘agrarian outrage’ is an act of violence
originating in discords between classes with antagonistic relationships.
Agrarian Classes in India`
The agrarian class composition varies depending upon social,
economic, geographic, political and administrative conditions of the region.
Nature of land control and land use varies, from place to place and even at one
and the same place, depending upon the productivity of the region, largely because
of the type of soil, availability of water, adoption of improved agricultural
practices, development of communication, integration of market forces,
political and administrative set up, etc. These factors affect agrarian
relationships everywher in the country. Today penetration of market forces and
adoption of technology are considered very important factors for shaping
agrarian composition.For a large country like India, which has numerous complex
combinations of agrarian systems, it is difficult to describe the various
agrarian class combinations. Here, we study this system as it obtained under
the feudalistic system that existed during the pre-British era and then during
the British period when the colonial power had a vested interest in perpetuating
it.
MOVEMENT: MEANINGAND FEATURES
Since movements and change are closely related, it is
important that you understand the meaning of the term ‘movements’. Almost any
collective mobilisation tends to get described as a movement of one kind or the
other—of peasants, labourers, students, women, backward classes or tribal
communities. Movements have recognisable structures and can best be understood
in terms of their features. Here, we will outline their features as we discuss
the contributions made by some of them: 4 Rural
Development — Agrarian Issues · A movement attempts to bring
about change, even in the sense of an entirely new social and economic order.
It generally involves some goal oriented sustained mobilisation of a
collectivity, in a relationship of conflict with some other group(s), and is
directed towards the achievement of its objectives
A movement, particularly the one which has far reaching
implications for change, must develop, sooner or later, a comprehensive
ideology which will present a rationale for bringing about (or resisting)
change(s) for which a struggle is considered necessary
Movements usually have a strategy for achieving their aims
and also employ tactics as a part of the overall strategy. Sometimes, movements
tend to achieve their legitimate rights through persuasion. When the state
shows no concern, these may lead to organised demands for changes pertaining to
some specific aspects of their lives or for total transformation.
MOVEMENT AND CHANGE: THE FRAMEWORK
Social movements have been classified in a number of ways
using one criterion or the other—ideology, strategy, nature and extent of
change/reform in the structure. The main categories of people involved in such
movemtns are peasants, workers, students, caste group, women, etc.
Mukherjee (1983) has classified movements on the basis of the
kind of change they seek to bring about:
Those that seek to bring about (or resist) quasi-structural
changes within the system (i.e, they may have some of the appearance of a
structural change but in fact are not so). These are quasi movements.
Those that seek to bring about (or resist) alternative
structural changes by addition or deletion of some structures. These are social
movements.
Those that seek replacement of existing structure(s) by
alternative structure(s). These are social transformatory movements.
It is obvious that most social mobilisations are
quasi-movements seeking redressal of Green Revolution grievances or staking
claims for a better bargain in the transactions that take place within and
between structures that constitute the system. These are mobilisations not for
changing the system, but for changes within the system. Such mobilisations are
often viewed as system correctives.
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