Assignment on

The Summery of Scatter with One Hand: Gather with Two

Submitted to Mrs. Rezwana Karim Snigdha ourse !nstructor for "thnogra#hy: Se$ected Te%ts &Anth '()*

Submitted by Md. Ta+bir us Samad Ta$ha !d, -).) /atch: .(

0e#artment of Anthro#o$ogy 1ahangirnagar 2ni3ersity

Scatter with One Hand: Gather with Two

Introduction 4rom the c$assica$ #eriod to nowadays5 agricu$ture remains the mainstay of the economy of /ang$adesh. So5 agricu$tura$ de3e$o#ment and a$so the modernization in techno$ogy he$# us to de3e$o# country. As $i6e as in Kumir#ur5 the a3ai$abi$ity of new agricu$tura$ techno$ogies: mechanized irrigation5 high7yie$ding 3ariety &H89* seeds5 #esticides and chemica$ ferti$izers5 has $ed to an o3era$$ increase in #ros#erity. Thus increases the $and 3a$ue and a$so the demand for agricu$tura$ $abor. :ith the increasing demand of $and5 there in3ents a new #rocess of cu$ti3ation; share7 cro##ing5 in which a share of the cro# is #aid as rent. /ut in this #rocess5 the cost and benefits are not shred e+ua$$y. Some #oorer #eo#$e find o##ortunities to im#ro3e their condition5 but the ma<or #rofits ha3e gone to those who ha3e a$ready better off. Access to mar6et shows c$ear$y the ine+ua$ity structured in /ang$adesh. !n Kumir#ur5 <obs are genera$$y $in6ed to agricu$ture. /ut the mar6ets for agricu$tura$ resources are dominated by ma$e. =and is owned main$y by men5 $oans are gi3en on ma$e authority5 techno$ogy is o#erated and run by men and most fie$d $abor is o#en on$y to ma$es. /ut on the contrary5 techno$ogica$ instruments are not been user friend$y for fema$e5 $and right is not be gi3en to fema$e5 e3en fema$e can get sma$$er sca$e $oans. At the same time5 transactions within each set of mar6ets are high$y significant for c$ass re$ations. "ntry to different mar6ets is high$y differentiated by c$ass as we$$ as gender. !t indicates a c$ear image of ine+ua$ity gender discrimination in this country. A Changing Environment !n the $ean time5 the #eo#$e of Kumir#ur5 es#ecia$$y Santa$s ha3e to face scarcity and $ac6ing of wor6. They ha3e no choice to do wor6 in that time. So they can not but do wor6 by ta6ing a 3ery sma$$ #ayment. Techno$ogica$ de3e$o#ment in agricu$ture he$#s to im#ro3e the Santa$s> circumstances. So they no $onger ha3e to migrate seasona$$y in search of wor6 as they used to5 there is now wor6 $oca$$y for most of the year. The story of de3e$o#ment in Kumir#ur is a fami$iar one: whi$e many ha3e seen some benefit5 the ma<or #rofit has gone to those who were a$ready better off. There we can see ma<or changes in cro##ing #rocess in Kumir#ur5 which ha3e an im#act on the en3ironment as a who$e. ?ew #rofitabi$ity of agricu$ture forces the #eo#$e to c$ear the forest areas to #ro3ide more cu$ti3ab$e $and. :ith the rising demand for fue$5 #eo#$e reduce tree co3er. Thus some ma<or destruction of natura$ resources occurs. !t reduces soi$ moisture. "3en changes since irrigation are not who$$y #ositi3e@ it dec$ines the soi$ ferti$ity.

!n3ention of hand #um#5 sha$$ow tube7we$$s and dee# tube7we$$s he$#s the inhabitants of Kumir#ur to increase the cu$ti3ation of agricu$tura$ #roducts. /ut it creates a draw7down effect on ground water resources. Land Ownership =and is the centra$ factor in househo$ds> socia$ status and economic strategies in rura$ /ang$adesh. !t has $ong been the 6ey resource and it re#resents the security of a man. :ith agricu$tura$ de3e$o#ment and techno$ogica$ boom5 demand for $and is increasing day by day. 0e 9y$der estimates that A(B of househo$ds in /ang$adesh are effecti3e$y $and$ess. !n addition5 $andho$dings are high$y fragmented. /y the resu$t of inheritance ru$es5 a $and is di3ided e+ua$$y between sons. !n Mus$im $aw5 daughters a$so inherit $and ; at ha$f the rate of their brothers. /ut in #ractice5 socia$ factors and fami$y #o$itics inhibit women from c$aiming their forma$ rights. =and a$so changes hands as a resu$t of marriage #ayments5 mortgage5 #urchase5 fraud or $itigation in Kumir#ur. Mortgaging is 6nown as Khai 6a$asi5 in this #rocess a $oan is gi3en in return for the $and for a set #eriod during which the $oan gi3er cu$ti3ates it. ommuna$ differences can sti$$ $ead to $and $oss. 0uring the $iberation war of -C)-5 Hindus> $and is e%#ro#riated in their absence by dec$aration as Denemy #ro#erty.> Marriage of daughters may be an occasion for $and $oss5 because of the dowry system. :edding gifts5 marriage constitutes are the most common reasons for $and transfer. Other common reasons for $and sa$e are the need to #urchase catt$e for draught #ower or to re#air or bui$t new housing. Share-cropping =abor5 share7cro##ing and $oans are com#$ementary as#ects in househo$d economic strategy and together contribute to househo$d>s c$ass #osition. They a$so indicate mu$ti7 stranded $in6s between two #articu$ar househo$ds in a #atron7c$ient #air. Share7cro##ing is the main way for #oorer househo$ds to gain access to $and. !n /ang$adesh5 in the standard form of share7cro##ing5 the cu$ti3ator bears a$$ the costs and gi3es one ha$f of the cro# to the $andowner as rent. The wea$thiest househo$ds5 share out $and to cut cash out$ays5 bestow #atronage and to minimize in3estment of househo$d $abor5 #articu$ar$y as educated sons are $ess interested in wor6ing on the $and5 #referring businesses or sa$aried <obs. =ower c$ass househo$ds a$so share out their $ands5 either because of distance or shortage of househo$d $abor. Many of these househo$ds are headed by widows5 or ha3e ma$e members who are unwe$$ or incom#etent.

This is not sim#$y a matter of economics@ it indicates a wider re$ationshi# between the $andowner and cu$ti3ator. !t is not sim#$y their wea$th but a$so the u##er or 3u$nerab$e househo$d>s better socia$ connections that under$ie their #referentia$ access. Agricultural la or ro##ing changes ha3e e%#anded the mar6et for agricu$tura$ $abor in Kumir#ur. =i6e sharecro##ing arrangements5 $abor is freer than it was. ontracts are shorter term and most wor6 is done by dai$y $abor. ?o /enga$i woman is hired as an agricu$tura$ $aborer in Kumir#ur. Again5 benefits are therefore di3ided by gender as we$$ as c$ass: househo$ds without ab$e adu$t men members are unab$e to ta6e ad3antage of the new o##ortunities. Howe3er5 Santa$ woman wor6s as agricu$tura$ $aborer. /ut they wor6 the $ongest of a$$. Here5 c$ear$y5 is a c$assic case of woman>s outside em#$oyment5 meaning they ha3e to wor6 a doub$e day. hanging in $abor contracts indicates shifts in the $oca$ form of c$ass re$ations. On$y young boys sti$$ ha3e year7round contracts. Otherwise5 regu$ar $abor is hired on a seasona$ basis. Rates for regu$ar wor6 3ary by season5 age and s6i$$. Seasona$ contracts norma$$y cease in the s$ac6 #eriod before har3est. The change in the cro##ing system has meant more $abor demand for more of the year. Migrant $abor comes in at #ea6 times. Many of the migrants are young unmarried sons of midd$e c$ass and sma$$ ho$ding househo$ds. The migrants a$so inc$ude a few Santa$ and other ethnic minority fema$e grou#s. Credit redit is the main ste# of so much of 3i$$age $ife that it is difficu$t to identify one c$ass as more de#endent on it than another. 0ifferent c$asses enter into 3arious 6inds of credit arrangements for different source of #ur#oses. =arge debts do not necessari$y indicate wea6ness: they a$so show the abi$ity to mobi$ize credit. Here we are not with institutiona$ credit but with $oans between indi3idua$s5 as they e%#ress different re$ationshi# within the 3i$$age. =oans are most common$y ta6en for consum#tion5 cu$ti3ation and wedding or funera$ e%#ense. !f #ossib$e5 transfers within the househo$ds are arranged to a3oid ha3ing to ta6e credit outside. !nterest7free $oans may be gi3en between c$ose re$ati3es5 #articu$ar$y brothers and married or widowed sisters. =oans between #eo#$e within the $ower status grou# are a re$ati3e$y new #henomenon in Kumir#ur. !t increases the de#endence on the mar6et for basic consum#tion needs. !t may re#resent a desirab$e a$ternati3e to accumu$ating de#endencies on a richer #atron. The c$assic 6ind of $oan re$ationshi#5 of a richer #atron $oaning to a #oorer c$ient5 is a$so e3ident in Kumir#ur. "m#$oyees often go to their em#$oyers for $oans and share7cro##ers

to their $andowners. Eatrons genera$$y refuse to gi3e $oans to those who do not ha3e a current functiona$ re$ationshi# with them. =oans are not a$ways gi3en by richer #atrons to #oorer c$ients. =oans may a$so be gi3en by wor6ers or share7cro##ers to em#$oyers or $andowners. This is regarded as shamefu$. Conclusion