Discuss land reforms in India.
Replay on 04-10-2018 06:55:24
The land is considered as most valuable asset in India since ancient times. As the time progressed, the value of it has been increasing year on year. Once, the owner of the land was the king who was holing ultimate power on the land stretched in his kingdom. Kings were used to donating land to priests and using lands to maintain important officials. Further, the land was assigned to Zamindars or Inamdars or Jagirdars who in turn were collecting taxes from peasants.
With the arrival of foreigners, especially East India Company in India forcible eviction of people from land for industrialization and commercialization increased. Later, the land owner was asked to pay land taxes under Mahalwari, Ryotwari or Zamindari systems in pre Independence era.
Having experienced various concerns on land matters, the independent India through it’s first constitutional amendment brought land reforms by abolishing Zamindari system. Also, the right to property was repealed from fundamental rights through 44th Constitutional Amendment Act 1978 and included as legal right under Art 300A. Almost all states of Independent India implemented land reforms. However, Kerala, West Bengal, J & K are some of the states where the success of land reforms was high.
With land reforms, land was distributed among land less poor especially to SC, ST & minorities hence, accorded them social security. Although, land reforms given land to poor, the vast stretches of land became marginalized hence mechanization of land causing difficulty. Consequently, instances of subsistence farming techniques increased.
Given, the importance of land and reduce exploitation by vested interests in land maters, the GOI enacted two important laws viz the ST and Other traditional forest dwellers (Recognisation of forests Rights), Act 2006 and Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement , Act 2013.
The Govt of AP distributed lakhs of acres of land to landless sections of SC, ST & minorities in erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh and by the present Govt. Monetary support also provided to bring these lands into cultivable form. Plantation crops are being encouraged in these lands. However, the grievances about land issues are still persisting in the ground. Most of the Citizens do not aware where to approach and whom to approach for redressal of land grievances and disputes. Thousands of cases are pending on land issues in civil courts.
Despite, various state Govts like AP using technology on land matters like Meeseva & Mee Bhoomi, much has to be done towards land reforms by appointing dedicated official at Mandal/Tehsil level and creating awareness among citizens. By doing so, revenue would be generated to Govt and social security further to be strengthened among landholders.
