Abolition Of Zamindari System

There were many points of view of different people like:

• Some people were thinking that land reforms are favouring to the zamindars by not putting any limit on their amount to own land.

• Some others were feeling that reforms are favourable to only those tenants who are already prosperous but not to the poorer tenants by taking compensation of the land.

• Other had thought that they are maintaining a balance between tenants and zamindars by allowing some tenants to take the land for a price and others to work as labourers for zamindars.

In my opinion, first point of view is stronger that land reforms were more favourable to zamindars as approximately only 2-2.5 crore over 18.5 crore poor people got benefitted.

Land Ceiling Act were passes in 1970 and put a limit on a unit which is a family of 5 members to own the land. The limit was such that a unit can have maximum of 10 to 27 acres of irrigated land and 35 to 54 acres of dryland. There were different points of view on this act like:

• Some people thought that this limit criteria should have been implemented in 1950 land reforms to have better effectiveness.

• Other had thought that implementing this in 1950 would have a worse effect and creates a lot of opposition about the reforms.

No, there was very less consideration about the condition of women in the land reforms. There was no mention about any special limit or incentive for women so that they have their own land. Besides this some women may have got land by filing fraudulent divorce, have two separate families and retain as much as land a family can.

End to vetti or forced labourers was very important for all kinds of peasants. It was a bad practice which was being followed and forcing them to work at any wages and for more hours to have maximum yield. It was against human rights of the people. The landlords have to give them reliable wages and flexible hours to the peasants to make them work in their land. Now peasants cannot be forced to work and choose their best work environment.

Ownership was given to poor families in land reforms act. Being a poor people, it was a big transformation and a feeling of relief as now I have not to depend on landlord for livelihood of my family. There was a feeling of joy and happiness. I had some sense of security to have food for my family. It was very necessary to uplift the poor section people like me and live a good life.

Being a landlord, I was very afraid to lose my wealth and land which I had. There was feeling of disappointment and stress. I was helpless to do anything but to give my land to the government which in turn will give it to tenants. It was very hard for me to accept this situation.

Yes, I agree with this view because Tenants-at-will were those tenants which could be evicted at the will of landlords and landlords evicted the tenants to cultivate on their land and retained their land by using loopholes of the land reforms. But the tenants-at-will lost their little source of income and harmed badly.

There are many reasons due to which land Ceiling Act was not implemented effectively. Some of them are:

• Some landlords did not reveal their amount of land accurately and retained the land.

• Some got idea about it earlier and transferred the land to their relatives and friends to have as much land as they can.

• Some landlords also filed fraudulent divorces in the court and showed them as separate families which helped them to retain the land.

• In some states, Political will also played a important role in effectiveness of the implementation of the Act.

Because the landlords did not want to lose their land at any cost and did not have empathy and willingness to lose their land. Some landlords like Vedire Ramachandra Reddy donated land to the tillers but that was not enough to balance the land concentration among big landlords and landless people. Therefore, Bhoodan movement started by Vinobaji did not help to end landlordism.

I was very happy to get the first bhoodan land by Vinobaji. It was very important for my family to own a land and earn basic needs of our family. I was tenant-at-will earlier and got evicted by my landlord and did not have any land to cultivate and life my life. It was a moment full of joy. I was thankful to Vedire Ramachandra Reddy who donated the land and to Vinobaji who started this bhoodan movement.

Nalgonda district is a part of Telangana now.

Yes, I think conditions are improved now from earlier. The landless people are less as compared to the time of independence. Earlier people were only dependent to the agriculture for their employment. But now even if some people are landless, they have some other source of income and employment in some other sector. Many land reforms and acts have been passed by government to overcome the poverty in the country. It has been successful to some extent but there is long way to go to have a complete eradication of poverty from the country. There is improvement in the conditions of rural people and everybody have to do more to improve them more.