2.3.2.4 Tenants
This group is constituted by the small, unprotected tenants
who often cultivate the land as sharecroppers. The economic
situation of this group has always been hard.The small areas
they leased did not allow them to economically utilize their
labour, and the landlords' propensity to allow only easily
controllable crops to be cultivated prevented them growing
vegetables and other intensive crops. The underemployment
rate was high, but, often, they were not allowed to take up
other occupations in case they could find any. Many of these
tenants were indebted and, thus, even more dependent.
The Green Revolution brought about radical changes for this
group. At first, it had no share in the revolution. The landlords
utilized the new seed on self cultivated land. As the construction
of wells and the acquisition of tractors progressed, many
of the landlords went over to owner cultivation and dismissed
the tenants. Growing unrest among the tenants on account of
the attempts at changing the sharecropping conditions, but
also the fact that the tenants' draught oxen were no longer
needed were the reasons why within a few years, the contracts
of a large number of these tenants were not renewed, and the
sharecropping system was almost abolished in large regions.
In India's Punjab alone, the number of tenants decreased from
583,000 to 80,500 between 1955 and 1969.
Some of the evicted tenants succeeded in finding employment
as agricultural labourers, but, for the majority, work was
only available at harvest time. If, in spite of this, the
evicted tenants did not become paupers, this can be largely
attributed to the fact that they kept animals. All of them
owned a pair of oxen which they could no longer use, but which
could be sold at high prices. They exchanged these for a pair
of buffalo cows which were fed on fodder collected by the
family or given by a farmer when they worked for him. It has
always been a traditional rule of thumb that whoever owns
two buffalo cows earns, by selling calves, milk, or ghee,
the equivalent of a casual labourer's income. Their subsistence
was thus ensured, and, besides, they could offer their labour
and earn an income. Growing trade and increase in transport
and marketing often allowed them to find work. The fact that
what they earned from selling milk ensured their livelihood
allowed them to be particular when accepting a work. The mass
of tenants thus did not directly participate in the Green
Revolution, but the radical changes this group experienced
have not led to the expected misery.
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