Institute

of Rural Management Anand

PGDM-RM41 – Term I – End Term Examination
Rural Society & Polity
Date: 01/11/2020
Adit Shah, Roll Number: P41065
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Q1)

There was a mutual understanding and no pressure between Jajmans and Service-Providers as they depend
on each other. Jajmans were dependent on Service-Providers as there were no other means to get that
those services as only people from certain castes and occupa ons gave those services. Service-Providers
were dependent on Jajmans for their livelihoods as there were no alterna ves available like organized
market at that period of me.

This way, the Jajmani system was a reciprocal system.

Q2)

The caste system divides society into endogamous and exogamous groups by virtue of birth. It is very rigid
in nature and mobility in the ladder is very difficult. Thus it is concerned with one’s birth. It is highly
influenced by socio-poli cal mo ves.

On other hand, the Varna system stra fies people according to their choice of work. Mobility in the ladder
is very flexible in the varna system. By learning skillset and with talent, one can switch the profession and
move freely on the ladder. It is free from socio-poli cal restric ons.

Q3)

The current Indian Census's defini on of rural defines it in terms of popula on, density, and farming as an
occupa on. Like a popula on less than 5000, popula on density less than 400 / square km, and less than
25% of males involved in non-agricultural ac vi es. This is done to specific purposes and func ons of the
government.

In reality, Rurality or Rural society is a vast idea and should not be restricted to the above criteria. It
revolves around nomadic nature, tribes, castes, farmers, agricultural ac vi es related to it, norms and
tradi ons, and certain nega ve aspects like feudalism, poor human development, fragile infrastructure, etc.

Q4)

Agriculture has become a rela vely unrewarding profession because of unfavorable price regimes and poor
or low-value addi on. A er the green revolu on, a significant amount of farmers moved from subsistence
farming to cash crop farming. This requires high input costs. Moreover, lack of proper value addi on
facili es leads to a lesser return on their produce. Farmers also do not get proper market value on their
products and end up in distress. This makes agriculture an unrewarding profession.

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Institute of Rural Management Anand
PGDM-RM41 – Term I – End Term Examination
Rural Society & Polity
Date: 01/11/2020
Adit Shah, Roll Number: P41065
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Q5)

The mo ve of Land reforms was to remove intermediaries and facilitate the distribu on of land from rich to
poor. In either of the system, Jamindari, Riotwari, or Mahalwari, farmers without land suffered, whether
they were llers or share-croppers. Tenancy reforms gave more power to share-croppers, they have to pay
only 2.-25% to the farm owners and not more. It also gave them the right to cul va on and security. But
this failed as owners stopped giving land to tenants or transferred them via Benami transac ons. It was
also observed that ownership of land leads to more produc on, but this does not affect produc vity at all.
Hence farmers suffered. This happened just a er independence in around the 1960s-1970s

In the 1960s, the Food situa on in India was worst than ever as a result of impor ng bad quality wheat
from the USA. To increase produc vity and achieve food security, the Green Revolu on took place in India.
It involved using high yield variety seeds under controlled use of fer lizers and pes cides. Food security
was achieved but this increased the input cost of the produc on. The soil quality was also affected by the
excess use of pes cides and fer lizers. The water crisis also started to happen and the green revolu on was
only limited to regions where irriga on facili es were there. Hence, farmers of the failed region suffered
because of high input costs and significantly less produce.

Agrarian Distress that happened around in the 1980s, is mostly about the unholy rela on between high
input cost and low market price for the produce. Farmers were exposed to very unstable market condi ons,
especially the ones who grew cash crops. They fell into the debt traps to fulfill their needs and o en fail to
come out from it. As a result, they are forced to sell their lands and commit suicides in extreme cases.

Hence because of the above reasons and chronology of the events, we can say that Land Reforms, the
Green Revolu on, and Agrarian Distress are inter-related phenomena.

Q6)

The farmers' movements that emerged during the country's independence:

The revolu on opposed the socio-economic system of inequality, the philosophy of Marxism, and socialism,
which argued that the capitalist elite had control and could oppress and exploit the poor labor class and
farmers. The movement opposed the exploita on by Zamindars and Landlords and not against the market
or government, which was ini ated by socialists of the countries with the help of small and oppressed
farmers.

Notable Examples:

- Naxalbari Movement
- Tebhaga Movement

Page 2 of 3

Institute of Rural Management Anand
PGDM-RM41 – Term I – End Term Examination
Rural Society & Polity
Date: 01/11/2020
Adit Shah, Roll Number: P41065
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The new farmers' movements:

This movement was ini ated by rich(well-to-do) farmers of the society, who took part in the green
revolu on and were not sa sfied with the market prices. This movement was infamous because of the
poli cal a en on it got and leadership proximity. Provisions of Loans, subsidies, etc took place.

Hence these movements were different in their purpose, process, and outcomes.

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