Agrarian Unrest and Peasant Movements

Introduction

Agriculture has always been the foundation of India's economy. Agriculture employs more than half of India's population. Despite its significance, the agriculture industry in India is beset by some issues, which have resulted in agrarian unrest and peasant uprisings in India, as peasants and rural communities seek to protect their rights and better their living conditions.

Agrarian unrest pertains to social and political conflicts that develop in rural regions as a result of issues such as landowners, crop production, poverty, and socioeconomic inequality. It is defined by the dissatisfaction and concerns of farmers and rural labourers who face a variety of challenges relating to their livelihoods.

Protests, marches, strikes, and violence are all examples of agrarian unrest. Agricultural instability has long been a hallmark of India. These movements seek to solve agrarian concerns and advocate for the liberties of landowners and farm labourers.

Causes of agrarian unrest in India

Agricultural unrest is a widespread issue in India, with several complicated causes. Peasants began rebelling against the zamindari and jagirdari regimes under British Raj, for a variety of reasons. Several of them are;

• Low agricultural prices − Farmers are paid paltry sums for their crops. Farmers get barely a fraction of the ultimate price that consumers pay for agricultural commodities, although being the backbone of the Indian economy. This is owing to the market's existence of middlemen who take a large part of the earnings, leaving relatively little for the farmers themselves.

• Unequal distribution of land − The distribution of land in India is lopsided, with a tiny minority of landowners holding the majority of the land. The vast majority of rural residents, notably farmers, are landless or have modest land holdings. This uneven allocation of land instils a sense of unfairness and discontent in the rural populace, fueling agrarian unrest.

• Inadequate infrastructure − Farmers struggle to transport and store their crops due to a lack of infrastructure like roadways, silos, and irrigation systems. Many farmers in India still rely upon rainfall for irrigation, which can result in crop failure during droughts, post-harvest losses, and reduced pricing for their produce, leaving farmers dissatisfied.

• High taxes − Farmers in India face several taxes, including sales tax, excise duty, and income tax. Such taxes pose a challenge for farmers to earn a living and can cause financial hardship for them and their families.

Major agrarian movements

Peasants have been waging a fight for their rights before the British rule. A few examples of peasant movements are;

• Champaran Satyagraha (1917) − The Champaran Satyagraha was a movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in the Champaran area of Bihar during the independence period. The movement aimed to safeguard the integrity of indigo farmers who had been forced to grow indigo by British landlords. The movement was successful in gaining reform programs and improving the living circumstances of farmers.

• Chipko Movement (1973) − The Chipko Movement was a post-independence forest conservation initiative in India's Uttarakhand area. This campaign attempted to safeguard the woods from commercial logging and to defend the rights of the local inhabitants, notably farmers, who relied on the forests for their livelihoods. was founded by women and sought to safeguard the forests on which local populations relied for subsistence.

• Farm Bills Protests (2020-2021) − The Farm Bills Protest is a new movement among Indian farmers in response to three farm laws approved by the government in 2020. The laws allowed them to sell to the buyers directly. Farmers were afraid that the regulations would result in the abolition of government-guaranteed price floors, decreasing the prices they would receive for their crops. Protests against new laws erupted as a result, ending in the farmers' success in safeguarding their rights and maintaining their livelihoods.

Significance of the movements

The importance of agricultural movements in India stems from the fact that they have drawn attention to concerns confronting farmers and rural communities, leading to legislative reforms and modifications that aim to solve these issues. These movements have made significant contributions to the nation's social, economic, and political growth, as well as to the empowerment of underprivileged populations and the development of democracy.

Agrarian movements have played an important role in bringing forward land reforms and safeguarding farmers' land rights. The Telangana Movement, for example, resulted in the dismantling of the jagirdari system and the transfer of land to landless peasants.

Agricultural movements have also played a significant role in the advancement of equality and social justice. Several of these movements were led by marginalised people, like Dalits, Adivasis, and women, to secure rights and improve their living conditions. The Chipko Movement, for example.

Agricultural movements have also had a substantial impact on developing India's democracy. Many of these campaigns have been nonviolent and peaceful, to secure the interests of farmers and rural communities with democratic methods like the Champaran Satyagraha.

Conclusion

Agrarian movements have had a significant impact on India's history, causing radical changes in the nation's social, economical, and political environment. Farmers and rural communities have spearheaded these movements, which have fought for land rights, fair pricing, and decent living circumstances mostly by civil and democratic methods, to bring about legislation through democratic means. It resulted in the empowerment of disadvantaged groups like Dalits, Adivasis, and women and has played an important role in defining India's growth and fostering a more equitable and inclusive society.

FAQs

Q. From which year did the peasants start mobilising politically for protests?

Ans. After 1918, peasants began to gain political consciousness, participate in organised national fights, and eventually form groups that bore their flags and platform. They coordinated protests for the program's implementation under their direction.

Q. What is zamindari system?

Ans. Cornwallis instituted the Zamindari System in 1793, in which zamindars owned the lands and collected rent from peasants who had become tenants. The cash tax was necessary to pay even if the yield was low.

Q. What is jagirdari system?

Ans. The jagirdari system was a form of land tenancy that developed in India around the 13th century during Muslim rule in which the collection of a landlord's income and the capacity to govern it were delegated to a state official.