SOUMI BANERJEE
UG:2 ; 4th Semester; ROLL NO. : 107
PAPER :Major 5----- INDIAN POLITICS SINCE INDEPENDENCE.

THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PEASANT MOVEMENT IN INDIA The agrarian structure and land reforms in india have undergone a significant change since Independence both as a result of land reforms during the mid-fifties and more so as a consequence of rapid-technological changes, especially since the mid-sixties. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, increase inproduction of commercial crops and introduction of canal irrigation in some parts of india acted as a catalyst in enhancing agrarian development. However, irrigation investment was confined to only limited areas and also the archaic land relations provided a strong barrier to the full exploitation of the benefits of new technology. The land relations were more or less semi-feudal in the Permanently settled ares.Even in the Mahalwari and Ryotwariares, where land transfers had been legalized,large tracts of land had passed to absentee money-lenders and sahukars, due to large-scale peasants’ indebtedness. This resulted in peasant uprising in various parts of India. Moreover because of the non-differentiation in the peasantry and the all-embracing nature of the anti-imperialist struggle, the peasant movement was able to unite all section of the peasantry. The nature of the peasant movement in the colonial period can only be understood in the context of the then existing mode and relations of production and the unlimited support extended by the highly oppressive colonial government to the vested landed interest. Consequently,the peasant movements became inextricably linked with the anti-imperialist nationalist movement. Infact, many important social and religious movements which were launched in various states to achieve certain social demands very soon acquired a militant,