Explain the relevance of land reforms in eradication of rural poverty and causes for the failures of land reforms.
Write briefly about land reforms
In words of M Ghatak land reform usually refers to redistribution of land from the rich
to the poor. More broadly, it includes regulation of ownership, operation, leasing,
sales, and inheritance of land. For eradication of rural poverty, land reforms have great
theoretical relevance especially in an agrarian economy like India with great scarcity,
and an unequal distribution, of land, coupled with a large mass of the rural population
below the poverty line.
Explain how land reform is related to eradication of rural poverty
The most obvious argument in favour of land reform is equity which is essential to
remove rural poverty. Small farms tend to be more productive than large farms and
owner-cultivated plots of land tend to be more productive than those under sharecropping
tenancy. Moreover, it leads to formalization of land records and legal
protection of ownership rights. However, studies in India show otherwise as a study by
Ghatak, Gertler and Besley (2002) suggest that land reforms had a negative effect on
poverty, while the effect on productivity is mixed.
Abolition of zamindari was most successful feature of land reforms as 20 million
tenants benefitted, but didn’t end rent seeking class and rural poverty eradication was
minimal. Scholar like Uma Chakravarti in their study tells about the limited change in
practise letting poverty persist till today.
Tenancy reforms were aimed fixing fair rent, security of tenure, and giving land to
tillers. 11 million tenant roughly got their due rights. But, rural poverty reduction was
largely absent as part of land was kept by Government and non-fertile land
transferred. Old zamindar became tenants, and henceforth chain of tenant got created
below from sub-tenant to sharecroppers.
Land ceilings were most poorly implemented, and joint families were broken to protect
land, people divorced to transfer land, leading to rare reduction in rural poverty.
Consolidation of land holding & introduction of cooperative was probably most
misunderstood part of Land Reforms, as people were reluctant, and rich farmers came
together for joint stock farming.
Write the causes of failure of land reforms
Atul Kohli claimed that failure of Land reform in Hindi Heartland was due to Congress
domination which was led by upper class. However, in Kerela and West Bengal where
land reforms did get partial success were led by left party who also got support from
masses. The bureaucracy was corrupt and dipped in inertial British mindset; Judiciary
had elitist way of working untouched by social concerns and under shadow of ruling
classes, there was lack of organized peasant movement who were scattered and
differentiated on several agendas other than land reforms like caste, creed, religion. In
Constitution, Seventh Schedule land was being marked as a state subject which made
Union Government a mere spectator to deeds of State Government who had vested
interests involved, most importantly there was absence of land records which made
corruption rampant and discretion unlimited.
Conclude on following lines
Land reforms have been half-heartedly attempted at various times and this has proved
to be a case of the remedy being worse than the disease. Commenting on the process
of land reforms, Prof. M.L. Dantwala observes; "By and large land reforms in India
enacted so far and those contemplated in the near future, are in the right direction;
and yet due to lack of implementation the actual results are far from satisfactory".
Write briefly about land reforms
In words of M Ghatak land reform usually refers to redistribution of land from the rich
to the poor. More broadly, it includes regulation of ownership, operation, leasing,
sales, and inheritance of land. For eradication of rural poverty, land reforms have great
theoretical relevance especially in an agrarian economy like India with great scarcity,
and an unequal distribution, of land, coupled with a large mass of the rural population
below the poverty line.
Explain how land reform is related to eradication of rural poverty
The most obvious argument in favour of land reform is equity which is essential to
remove rural poverty. Small farms tend to be more productive than large farms and
owner-cultivated plots of land tend to be more productive than those under sharecropping
tenancy. Moreover, it leads to formalization of land records and legal
protection of ownership rights. However, studies in India show otherwise as a study by
Ghatak, Gertler and Besley (2002) suggest that land reforms had a negative effect on
poverty, while the effect on productivity is mixed.
Abolition of zamindari was most successful feature of land reforms as 20 million
tenants benefitted, but didn’t end rent seeking class and rural poverty eradication was
minimal. Scholar like Uma Chakravarti in their study tells about the limited change in
practise letting poverty persist till today.
Tenancy reforms were aimed fixing fair rent, security of tenure, and giving land to
tillers. 11 million tenant roughly got their due rights. But, rural poverty reduction was
largely absent as part of land was kept by Government and non-fertile land
transferred. Old zamindar became tenants, and henceforth chain of tenant got created
below from sub-tenant to sharecroppers.
Land ceilings were most poorly implemented, and joint families were broken to protect
land, people divorced to transfer land, leading to rare reduction in rural poverty.
Consolidation of land holding & introduction of cooperative was probably most
misunderstood part of Land Reforms, as people were reluctant, and rich farmers came
together for joint stock farming.
Write the causes of failure of land reforms
Atul Kohli claimed that failure of Land reform in Hindi Heartland was due to Congress
domination which was led by upper class. However, in Kerela and West Bengal where
land reforms did get partial success were led by left party who also got support from
masses. The bureaucracy was corrupt and dipped in inertial British mindset; Judiciary
had elitist way of working untouched by social concerns and under shadow of ruling
classes, there was lack of organized peasant movement who were scattered and
differentiated on several agendas other than land reforms like caste, creed, religion. In
Constitution, Seventh Schedule land was being marked as a state subject which made
Union Government a mere spectator to deeds of State Government who had vested
interests involved, most importantly there was absence of land records which made
corruption rampant and discretion unlimited.
Conclude on following lines
Land reforms have been half-heartedly attempted at various times and this has proved
to be a case of the remedy being worse than the disease. Commenting on the process
of land reforms, Prof. M.L. Dantwala observes; "By and large land reforms in India
enacted so far and those contemplated in the near future, are in the right direction;
and yet due to lack of implementation the actual results are far from satisfactory".
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