Land Reforms in India (Volume 8)

This is the eighth volume in a major series which studies the status of land reforms throughout the country. It focuses on Gujarat and Maharashtra and contains original essays by scholars, activists and administrators who have in-depth knowledge of the current situation regarding land reforms in the two States. The contributors place the two states in a contemporary framework. They point out that Gujarat and Maharashtra are the two most advanced industrial regions in the country where the processes of economic liberalisation, industrial development and technological advancement have meant that the capitalist mode of production has taken strong roots in the agricultural sector. The contributors analyse the problems, performance and challenges of land reforms in the region. Land legislations – their successes and failures as also their implementation – are discussed in detail. Among the other issues examined are: Land alienation among the tribals in the two states, The rehabilitation of those displaced by various development projects, including large dams, The impact of technological changes on the rural economy, and on agricultural development, The status of common property resources. Overall, the contributors argue that unless a clear alternative is provided for the displaced and the marginalised in evolving economic structure, it would not only lead to social injustice but also be economically disastrous in the long run. Based on both field-level primary data and secondary sources such as government records, this volume vividly describes the ground realities and will thus serve as a basis to initiate remedial measures. Students of land reforms and agrarian change, state and central government officials dealing with programmes for the rural poor, and those interested in areas such as the political economy of agriculture, rural development, agricultural labour and social welfare will find this book of tremendous interest.