issues/law

Reversing Land Reforms; Are Communists for it?

Will the Communists scrap or reverse the ''Land reforms'' in Kerala, a landmark resolution which had transferred agrarian power to the agricultural labourers and poor peasants in this tiny state of India? This has become a hot topic of discussion, and a decision if at all, would surely backtrack the rebellious ''land reforms'' Act of the first Communist government।
The ''Land reforms'' have helped in shaping the Kerala society by bringing down to a great extent the economic, class and caste inequality and ended the statutory landlordism and the ''janmi'' system, and limited the ownership of landholdings.
Soon after the formation of the state in 1957, The Land Reforms Bill of 1959 introduced by the first Communist ministry had the very clear objective of breaking landlordism. It realised the slogan of “land to the tiller” which had been the promise of the freedom struggle. The tenants became the owners of the land they cultivated and tenancy was banned in all forms. It also imposed limits on landownership and distributed surplus land to the landless.
A new thought has been kick started now with the Communists again at the helm of power. Kerala Industries department has suggested that the Kerala Land Reforms act be repealed taking into account the changed circumstances. The department has also pointed out that the law was binding on the industrial development in the state and the land reforms, having served its purpose, were no longer relevant.
The communists, at least a few, are a worried lot as even a thought in repealing or scrapping the reforms would be self-crucification. What significance is left after all their rebellions? What could they say to the peasants? What can they tell their cadres who still boast of having the tag of class revolution? Can it be worthy to tell the comrades that the world is moving to capitalism and individualism and ask them to the incorporate all the changes?
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Poliburo member and Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who had participated in the peasants revolt, has made it clear that the Act would not be scrapped. ''The land reforms brought by the first Kerala Government led by the Communist party was a revolution in itself. It has helped to change the social scenario of the state. But the reforms are not complete and efforts are needed for fulfilling it,'' he said. A staunch Achutananadan said that the government will go ahead with its efforts to strengthen land reforms till at least one communist was left in his Ministry. Meanwhile his party secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan is yet to come up with a comment. And many more of the communists are yet to pin point their views. Kerala, which tops Indian states in education, health and other sectors, has achieved such heights and no doubt the land reforms had helped he state in gaining such heights. Moreover it had brought down to a great extent the economic, class and caste inequality and ended the statutory landlordism and the ''janmi'' system. The farmers who had worked under the landlords were able to get a piece of land that they sweated upon. The law also ensured fixity of tenure and protection from eviction. The land reforms has greatly reduced inequalities in the ownership and operation of land, and broke the economic and social power represented by large tracts of landed property, which has led to the elimination of the more extreme forms of deprivation and socio-economic oppression.
But most of the critics are of the view that land reforms did not really end capitalist landlordism or transfer agrarian power to agricultural labourers and poor peasants. As E M S Namboodiripad, under whose leadership the reform process was launched in the late1950s, had remarked that the old ''janmi'' system was replaced by" landlordism of another type", of landlords who get their lands cultivated through wage labour and those who live by lending money and dominated rural trade.
Another significant aspect is that land reforms did not increase agricultural production or rural employment in Kerala. The land was fragmented which is often cited as a reason for making agriculture a low-profit venture in the state. With bits of land, the farmers did not get the due share of their investment. And as a result, most of the lands were left fallow. It had also resulted in a drastic fall in employment in the agricultural sector and a rise in farm wages disproportionate to the yield. The Workers began to migrate to non-agricultural sectors, especially to satisfy the demand caused by large-scale construction activity. Another factor is that the Gulf boom pushed up land prices so high that selling agricultural land for real estate development became an enticing option.
Apart from this, it is argued that as the land ceiling of 15 acre for individuals was fixed, the industrial development has been stagnant in the state.
Whatever the arguments, the repealing or scrapping of the historic law is going to have far reaching consequences. It will bring back tenancy and pave way for the old system of landlords, consolidating land in certain hands. The rich are going to become more rich and the poor will be deprived of land for even raising a hut. It will also create a situation in which big farmers lease land from small and marginal farmers and as such the small farmers will either become labourers in their own land or will be alienated from agriculture itself. No doubt, the reversal of the land reforms would create a land market, which would alienate land from the farmers and its concentration in the hands of the rich.
In a world , where capitalism is far spreading its wings, we have all to strive for up keeping the radical reforms that had always changed the face of the society.