Ideology and Realities

A FTER NEARLY A DECADE of obscurity land reform has re-emerged as a central issue in Indian politics. Following the splitting of Congress in i969, Mrs. Indira Gandhi has successfully identified her wing of the party with an aggressive agrarian policy involving both new initiatives and the effective enforcement of reforms which are already law.' Although hostiliies in East Bengal have seriously diverted the attention of the reorganized Congress since its sweeping victories in March, I97i and March I972, it stands clearly committed to providing relief and opportunity to India's landless and land poor. Indian agriculture has been subject to dramatic developments since enthusiasm for agrarian reforms reached its peak under Jawarharlal Nehru in the late i950's. From the near famine conditions in north India in i966, agricultural production has risen to record levels as the Intensive Agricultural District Program (under the slogan Green Revolution) has borne fruit, especially in the most favored wheat-growing regions.2 This turnabout has come primarily from break-throughs in domesticated high yield wheat, and to a lesser extent from new strains of corn (maize) and rice. Equally important has been the enthusiastic response of farmers in many areas after the new crops and cultivation techniques were introduced. Shortly after the profits from two-fold to four-fold increases in yields were demonstrated, rural private capital was mobilized at unprecedented rates. India's gloomy food prospect in i966 was transformed into projections of self-sufficiency either in the early or mid-i970's.3 Even so, Mrs. Gandhi's

Agrarian society · Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Caste · Development economics · Economics · Economy · Enthusiasm · Famine · Geography · Green Revolution · Ideology · Land reform · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Agricultural Economics and Practices · Law · South Asian Studies and Conflicts