Rural labour comprises persons living or working in rural areas. It constitutes the most marginalized section of our society. More than five decades of development has benefited this section the least. Rural labour in household enterprises, especially female labour has been one of the major victims of modernization as the new industrial products displaced their traditional activities. The problems of rural labour are multi-dimensional and concerned with economic, social and political. These problems has given birth to many challenges before the society. They are very much different in nature as compared to those, which existed in earlier days. Most rural households are below the poverty line and are still deprived of education. They are facing various problems like unemployment, under-employment, low wage rate, low income, etc. resulting in chronic poverty. They also face problems like poor working conditions, malnutrition, under-consumption and exploitation. These problems are closely interwoven and have taken a shape of serious challenge before the economy as well as the society, which should be tackled is a cautious manner so that no imbalance could take place. Though the government has initiated several measures since independence to ameliorate their conditions, the level of their living has somewhat improved particularly during eighties and nineties. Undoubtedly, this is a positive trend. But at the same time, the labour class has also become conscious of the fast deteriorating situation, which has turned them into militant organizations. They have been forced to join militant organization or private senas to snatch wealth and power from others to grab land, to take home crops from the fields and to satisfy their revenge by bloodshed. Rural areas are burning of hatred and revenge turning peaceful villages into full of tension and killings. Today, the confrontation is not only between people belonging to the lower castes and those belonging to upper castes but also within the people of same caste. The time has come now to think over this crucial problem, which may be considered as one of the major problems of India in present era. This book will be useful to only to those who are interested in the study and understanding of rural labor but also the perspectives provided may be considerable help to the students of social science, academicians, politicians and others interested in studying the growing problems of rural labour which hinder the progress of our nation.
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