Land Reforms in the Context of Globalisation

1
Land Reforms in the Context of Globalisation

• ANDHRA PRADESH VYAVASAYA VRUTHIDARULA UNION
• (A Federation of (Agri.workers Marginal Farmers
  in AP)

2
Agriculture Economy

• 68 of people live in rural areas
• 30 of national income is drawn from agriculture.
• 77 of total labour force(280 millions) in India
  are agricultural workers.
• 65 of agricultural operations are carried on by
  small farmers and share-croppers
• 8 of rural population are artisans

3
Impact of globalisation

• Employment has fallen down to 70 days per year.
• Less employment leads to low wages migration.
• Displaced technology in agriculture.
• Farmers lost the control over the seeds and
  production-seed patents Terminator seeds
• Contract farming for MNCs led to displacement of
  Sharecroppers
• Conversion of Food growing zones to export
  agriculture.

4
Impact of globalisation

• MNCs acquire large chunks of agri.lands
  displacing small farmers.
• State has become an agent of market to promote
  export oriented agriculture.
• New health problems due to usage of highly toxic
  pesticides
• Anti-farmers National agricultural policy.
• National water policy is to gear up industries
  as against agriculture

5
Categories of Land

• Govt. land (potentially available for
  cultivation) - 60
• - Land acquired by Abolition of Estates Act
• - Waste land/fallow land/grazing land/CPRs
• - Un-assessed land
• - Revenue reserves/forest reserves
• - Cultural waste Land
• Private land- 28
• - Raitwari Land
• - Temple Land
• Land reserved for public purposes- 12
• The above does not include Forest land and tribal
  land.

6
Land reforms

• Govt. has failed to implement land reforms
• 1.67 of land is distributed in India Compare to
  other Asian countries Japan 33 ,China 43,
  Taiwan 37, and South Korea 32.
• No party has political will to implement the land
  reform laws.
• A myth is created that agriculture is no more
  viable there is no land to be distributed

7
Available legal spaces

• BRSO 15 9/79 for govt land.
• Ceiling Surplus land Act 1971.
• Estates Abolition Act-1948 Settlement court
  orders
• AP. Tenancy Act 1956.
• SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.
• S.C. High Court Judgments Related GOs.
• AP Easement Act- 1956
• Vth Schedule of Indian Constitution 1/70 for
  Adivasis land.
• Bonded Labour Act 1976.
• Minimum Wages Act-1948 Equal Remuneration
  Act-1948.

8
Where is the land?

• Estate lands, Inams and Jagirdari lands All the
  land acquired from Zamindars in 50s is
  considered as govt land. (Rs.6700m)
• 5.3 of people still hold 40 of land.
• 16 small farmers own 28 of land
• 26 marginal farmers own 26 of land
• 8425 farmers still own one million acres

9
How much Land?

• 29.6 million acres of Fallow Land and 39.2
  million acres of cultivable waste land are to
  brought under cultivation- 60 is alienated.
• 50 of 132 million acres of forest is in highly
  degraded condition
• 3.9 million acres were received as bhudan. But
  only 2.2 lakh acres was distributed. Even 35 of
  distributed land is alienated.

10
More Land

• Temple and math lands 3.25 lakh acres (in AP).
  Majority of it is cultivated by temple trustees
  as against the law.
• Tribal land and alienation 465,289 cases
  involving 917,595 acres of alienated land was
  reported by Tribals of which 200,231 cases
  involving 531,389 acres was restored

11
Geo-Political Area of APVVU

• APVVU works in 382 blocks of 15 districts.
• Membership paid members are 424,356
• Work among agricultural workers, marginal farmers
  and Sharecroppers from Dalit, gender and class
  perspective
• 56 members women 63 are dalits and adivasis

12
Key Issues Actions

• Build unions of agricultural labour
• Minimum and equal wages
• Released approx.16,000 of bonded and child labour
• Sharecroppers share is increased to 50

13
Key Issues Actions

• Approx.150,000acres of
• govt land appropriated and distributed (90
  women)
• 32,500 acres of ceiling surplus land distributed
• 4272 benami tamarind trees harvested
• 320,000 temple lands auctions halted
• Filed claims for
• 146,840 acres of Forest
• land.

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Land appropriation Strategies adopted

• Non-violent methods/ demos,padayatras etc.
• Assess strength of
• landlord capacity of our group
• Legal education action
• Train up youth to take up land appropriation
• Use the support of favorable bureaucracy

15
Land appropriation Strategies adopted

• Spread the campaign.
• Globalize the local struggle.
• Network/align with others.
• Lobby,mass actions, peoples tribunals.
• Representation and policy advocacy.
• Media usage,postcards, signature campaigns.

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Forms of untouchability

• 56 forms of untouchability
• Discrimination in public places
• Govt places
• Private spheres
• Actions
• Representations to officials
• Invoking the law
• Peoples involvement
• Media involvement

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Untouchability Issues

• Untouchability
• Unclean occupations
• Manual scavenging
• Violation of dalit human rights
• Violence against dalit women
• Denial of land livelihood opportunites