AGRARIAN UNREST OR PEASANT MOVEMENTS

AGRARIAN UNREST OR PEASANT MOVEMENTS CAUSES AND TYPESAGRARIAN UNRESTNot a new phenomenon in India Peasant movements-part of national movementN.G.Ranga uses struggle of peasantryA.R.Desai uses "peasant struggleAgrarian revolution, peasant movementOnly after-1916 peasants developed political consciousnessBEFORE INDEPENDENCESantali insurrection(1855-56)Peasant revolution in Punjab(1930)Champaran (Bihar) movement(1917-18)Bardoli satyagraha(1920)AFTER INDEPENDENCETelangana peasant struggle(1947-51)Naxalbari peasant struggle(1967)

CLASSIFICATION PEASANT STRUGGLES KATHLEEN YOUNGHS CLASSIFICATIONRestoration rebellionsTo restore the one time existed privilegesSanthals fought against British to restore their traditional rights2. Religious movementsAgitations under Muslim religious leadersMopla Muslims of Malabar revolted against Hindu landlords and British- Thangal, Muslim religious leaders3. Social banditrySocial oriented robberies Leaders loot property of rich and distribute among poor4. Terrorist vengeanceAgitators attack on opponents and kill themNexabite agitations, peoples war group5. Mass insurrectionsTake place suddenly come to end abruptlyMan explosions for long pending problems6. Liberal reformist movementsUseful for removing harmful lawsPeasant agitations under GandhiChamparan satyagrahaAGRARIAN UNREST OR PEASANT STRUGGLESPeasant struggles-last 225 years Up to 1912,77 major revoltsAfter 1960s-large number of struggles 65% violentOur rural development programs failedAgrarian unrest during Mughal rule, British rule After independence, aliveNumber of factors contributed for unrestCAUSES Feeling of relative deprivation During British rule,Zamindars higher officials enjoyed privilegesPeasants deprived of such privileges 2. Foreign Invansion,Atrocities,ExplosionBefore independence,patrilism made them fight against British3. Destruction of cottage industries of farmersFactory system led to destruction of cottage industries

4. Exploitation of tribalsTribals,many agricultural communities exploited by British, revolted5. Coercion exercised to grow commercial cropsZamindars forced farmers to grow commercial cropsExplosion of Bengal indigo growers agitations6. Increasing burden of debtIncrease in debt led to bonded laborCharging heavy interest led to revolt7. Increasing number of landless and unemployedTribal farmers, low caste Hindus had to surrender land to landlordsUnemployment, poverty contributed to unrest8. Organizing power of farmersFarmers organizations establishedSugarcane, tobacco growers organizations etc. asserted their rights

9. Illegal eviction of the tenantslarge number of tenants forcibly evicted from joined agitation10. Anti-farmers measures of govt.Govt. take decisions against farmers in fixing rates on loans, prices11. Increasing political awareness and village bearing hot bed of politicsPolitical ideology, political parties inspired farmers agitation12. Use of modern technologyRapid means of transport, communications helped farmers to organize themselves

CONCLUSIONFarmers unrest caused by various factors Economic and political developmentsLiberalisation,privitisation,globalisation added to helplessness of farmersFarmers faced with toughest challenges in 21st centuryThey are not able to compete with west Farmers agitations bound to aggravate