Impact of Erratic Rainfall and Mica Mines in a South Indian Village

This paper presents a case of a South Indian village where mica mining made a detrimental effect on agriculture which was already suffering from erratic rain fall Together both the factors have affected the social system in the village so much so that the traditional social relations have dramatically changed The failure of agriculture at times due lo shortage, excess or untimely rains and high labour costs has weakened the dominant caste considerably Initially though members of the dominant caste had become rich through mica mining they became poor with the fall of mica production within two decades Also their attempts to cope up with the shortage of rain fall by bringing about agronomic changes were in vain. Hence, the dominant caste could no longer maintain the traditional social relations with the subordinates But. having been freed from traditional roles, the subordinate castes entered into contractual relationships and improved their economic position through higher wages in the mines and by pursuing other occupations The changed circumstances now enabled them to often exhibit open resistance to the caste domination The paper discusses the impact of erratic rainfall and establishment of mica mines on agriculture and the disruption of traditional social relations in the village due to failure of agriculture

Agricultural productivity · Agriculture · Archaeology · Biology · Caste · Development economics · Economic growth · Economic shortage · Economics · Geography · Mica · Political science · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Law · South Asian Studies and Conflicts

• An Untouchable Community in South India

  Michael Moffatt•Untouchable Community in South…•2015

  Add to list

• Is Homo Hierarchicus

  Open Access•A Appadurai•American Ethnologist•1986

  Add to list