Dr Ashwani Mahajan
Government has recently published Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011), based on Census 2011. These statistics depict the situation of poor in the country. It is not only that condition of poor is bad; it has been deteriorated too, if we make comparison with earlier census (2001).
It is notable that so far statistics have been published for rural areas only. In the SECC 2011, seven types of deprivations have been identified, namely households with Kucha House; without an adult member in working age group; headed by a female member in absence of an adult male; with a handicap member without their being an able adult; without a literate member above 25 years of age; scheduled castes/scheduled tribes and landless households engaged in manual labour.
It is found that at least 48.5 percent households suffer from at least one types of deprivation, landlessness was found to be the most important common factor. For instance, 59 percent households with Kucha house were landless; amongst households with all illiterate members above 25 years of age 55 percent were landless; amongst Schedule Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) 54 percent were landless. In other words we can say landless households were found to be most vulnerable. Further it is notable that out of 17.9 crore households 5.4 crore fall into the category of landless labour.
Rising Incidence of Landlessness
Census data shows that whereas in 2001, 45 percent farmers in ST category were found working on their own land; in 2011, only 35 percent were found working on their land. Regarding SC category we find that in 2001, 20 percent farmers were working on their own land; in 2011, this number declined to only 15 percent. In 2001, out of people working in agriculture, 35 percent reported themselves to be landless agricultural labour; in 2011, this number increased to 44.4 percent. Thus we can conclude that poor lost land across all categories.
Ownership of land does not only provide employment and income to the household, it also acts as insurance against risks and enhances the prestige of the individual and the family. Landless is vulnerable and their employment is also casual in nature. Those who own land and work on their land are called self employed. Deprivation of land is depicted also from National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSOs) Report of 68th Round, which reveals that between 2004-05 and 2009-10, 2.5 crore people lost their self-employment and during the same period 2.2 crore people joined the army of casual labour. Therefore SECC 2011 data ratifies the findings of NSSO, 68th Round.
Generally, economic condition of a household is indicated by the income of its members. With 13.36 crores families (that is 74.5 percent of total rural households), having highest earning member less than rupees 5000 monthly, and 17.2 percent families with highest income earning member between rupees 5000 and rupees 10,000, implicitly implies that households having highest earning members with income more than rupees 10,000, were hardly 8.3 of total rural households.
Although we witness an impact of technological changes on rural life also and we do find 68.4 percent households with at least one mobile connection; however, a stronger indicator of wellbeing is ownership of a motorized vehicle. We find that hardly 20.7 percent of households had at least a motorized two wheelers. Much hyped Kisan Credit Card (KCC), was also not found with farming households generally and as per Census reports hardly 3.8 percent of households were found carrying KCC with a limit of more than rupees 50,000.
Governments Exposed
Governments at all levels claim that their economic policies centre on development of villages and the villagers. However, Census data reveals that 36 percent of rural population is still illiterate, 91.7 percent have highest income earning member with less than rupees 10,000 a month and only 29.7 percent households have irrigated land. Given population pressure and lack of infrastructure facilities in urban areas, rural population does not have many options to improve their economic condition.
We must admit that it is not easy to find solution to rural deprivation and poverty. Nobody can deny ownership of land is the vehicle for empowerment of people. There were efforts, though half hearted, towards implementation of land reforms after independence. But now they too are things of the past. In the last 10 years, process of deprivation of land has accentuated (as per Census 2011), and suicides by lakhs of farmers indicate at the vulnerable farming community, as farming is no longer a profitable venture, and farmers are leaving agriculture and selling off their land.
Worst is the situation of marginal farmers, which constitute 67 percent of the farming community, whose average size of the holding has come down to 0.38 hectare. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that land is increasingly being used for non-agricultural purposes. No doubt, more land is being used for industries, infrastructure and urbanization; those with financial muscles are also cornering land, with the purpose of making profit.
Census data indicates that landlessness is mainly responsible for all kinds of deprivations. Making land available to the poor is like day dreaming today. Under these circumstances, Government has to find ways and means to provide alternative sources of employment and other types of economic empowerment. We need to promote rural industries, especially food processing, artisans and others cottage industries. Agriculture needs to be made remunerative and villages have to be brought to the main stream. We need to restrict the import of all those goods, which can be produced at village level. We need to provide employment opportunities to the rural people especially rural women. By providing self-employment to the landless, we can reduce their dependence on wage employment. These measures, if implemented successfully, can help the rural poor educating their families and avail reasonable health facilities.
(The author is Associate Professor, PGDAV College, University of Delhi)
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