Chapter Info (Click Here)
Book No. – 22 (Sociology)
Book Name – Indian Society & Culture (Nadeem Hasnain)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Green Revolution and its Social Consequences
2. Agrarian Unrest
3. Bonded Labour
4. Leadership and Factionalism
5. Democratisation and Leadership
6. Empowerment of People
6.1. Panchayati Raj and 73rd Amendment
7. 73rd Amendment
Note: The first chapter of every book is free.
Access this chapter with any subscription below:
- Half Yearly Plan (All Subject)
- Annual Plan (All Subject)
- Sociology (Single Subject)
- CUET PG + Sociology
LANGUAGE
Some Other Facets of Village India
Chapter – 8
Table of Contents
Green Revolution and its Social Consequences
- Post-independence India achieved a significant agricultural revolution, transforming from a food-deficit and importing nation to a self-sufficient country.
- In 1984, India contributed 1 lakh tonne of wheat to Sub-Saharan Africa to alleviate human suffering, a gesture that received universal praise.
- This transformation was due to forward-looking government policies, hard-working farmers, committed scientists, extension workers, and the country’s determination.
- However, India still has a long way to go in terms of providing its population with the same quantity of food, fats, sugar, and other commodities as developed countries.
- The Green Revolution increased agricultural production in large land holdings, but it also created economic disparity between rich farmers, small and marginal farmers, and agricultural laborers.
- The Green Revolution resulted in the growing agrarian proletariat in certain regions, with landless laborersorganizing and counter-organizations emerging among the landed.
- Large-scale migration of agricultural labor from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh to Punjab and Haryana occurred as a result of these changes.
- New dominant castes emerged due to the Green Revolution, particularly among backward castes (OBCs) who benefited from land reforms.
- Backward caste peasants were skilled cultivators, and with more land, they became enterprising, helping them gain higher status in the local social hierarchy.
- Sanskritization helped these castes climb the social ladder, with groups such as Jats, Ahirs, Kurmis, Gujjars, Marathas, Patels, Reddys, and others benefiting.
- These castes accumulated wealth through cash crops and commercial agriculture, expanding their influence in both rural and urban centers.
- The Green Revolution contributed to changing social structures in different regions.
- A significant fallout of the Green Revolution was the shift of authority from the older generation to the younger generation, as new technologies and practices required knowledge of English and modern agricultural techniques.
- The younger generation, more familiar with these changes, gained stronger decision-making roles in farming.
- The Green Revolution promoted commercial crops, leading to the entry of new market forces and changing the traditional jajmani system.
- Landowners moved away from sharing agricultural produce with service castes in exchange for their services and instead began paying them wages in cash.
- The shift from traditional exchange systems to formal economic transactions significantly altered inter-caste relations in rural India.
Agrarian Unrest
- Agrarian unrest in rural India can be traced to the country’s agrarian structure, which has long been marked by inequalities in land ownership, land control, income, and standard of living.
- Though social and economic inequalities persisted, traditional values and religious beliefs (like karma and dharma) acted as a safety valve, reconciling people, including the deprived, to their fate.
- Over time, the working class became more aware of their conditions, which helped radicalize their analysis of exploitation. Political movements helped peasants and agricultural laborers recognize the mechanisms of their exploitation and gave them a voice.
- Agrarian unrest is primarily linked to material conditions; worsening conditions lead to increased unrest.
- Post-1918, peasants began developing political consciousness, participating in national struggles, and forming their own organizations.
- Key events like the Moplah Rebellion (1922), agricultural and labor unions in Andhra Pradesh (1923), Punjab, Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh (1926-27), and Bardoli struggles (1928-31) gave voice to agrarian discontent.
- The Congress Socialist Party, Communist Party, and nationalist leaders like Nehru helped form kisan (peasant) organizations.
- In 1935, the First All India Kisan Congress formed the first national peasant organization, highlighting common demands and aspirations of the Indian peasantry.
- However, the Congress governments in provinces before independence failed to address the needs of the peasantry, leading to cynicism and disillusionment.
- Major peasant struggles occurred between 1946-50, including the Warli (Maharashtra), Tehbaga (East Bengal), and Telangana (Hyderabad State) movements, with communists playing a key role.
- The Naxalbari Movement post-independence represents the most radical phase of agrarian unrest.
- Agrarian unrest is more prominent in paddy-growing regions like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala, which have higher population densities and a larger proportion of poor peasants and agricultural laborers.
- Left Front governments in West Bengal and Kerala implemented land reforms and protected the interests of tenantsand sharecroppers.
- Main causes of agrarian unrest:
- Uneven and unjust distribution of income and resources in rural areas, leading to a widening gap.
- High unemployment and underemployment with low wages.
- Increasing indebtedness and land alienation, especially among tribal peasantry.
- Displacement and lack of proper rehabilitation measures.
- Growing awareness among the deprived sections about their poor material conditions and socio-economic disabilities.
- Political mobilization of dalits and backward classes.
- Andre Beifelle (1974) identified the following features of India’s agrarian structure as responsible for the unrest:
- Two opposite poles of social and economic inequalities.
- Strengthened belief that these inequalities could be reduced, if not completely removed, especially after independence.
- Failure of administrative and political efforts to change patterns of inequality, especially at lower levels.
- For centuries, the subaltern population in India remained silent about their needs and conditions, but now, widespread discontent and unrest manifest in both violent and non-violent means.