Public Talk: The Unnoticed Shift: Changes in Socio-Economic Groups Benefitting from State Agriculture Policy in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Karnataka by DR. SEJUTI DAS GUPTA

Dr. Sejuti Das Gupta, a PRIA alumna, is currently an Assistant Professor at James Madison College, Michigan State University. She started her talk with the experience of her association with PRIA. She spoke about the contribution of PRIA in her professional growth.

She started the presentation and explained the findings of her research with special focus on Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

Dr. Dasgupta mainly asked questions such as  “Since 1990 to 2013, what have been the tenets of agrarian policies? Is agrarian crisis affecting all those in agriculture?”

She also spoke about the Assessment of impact of different policies on different classes of farmers in these states. She detailed out by sharing the experiences of her field work. Dr. Dasgupta has mentioned that  in the field study she used methodologies such as conducted interview, survey group discussions with farmers, academic and social activists.  Further she discussed and highlighted about the shift in key classes in political settlement during 1980 to 2012: Rich farmers, capitalist and professional.

Also, she discussed about the problems of small farmers which constitute 80% of total population of Chhattisgarh. They are not a part of the State’s Vision or any future plan and thus face problems to access water, rapid mining and industrialisation. Farmer’s suicide has been on a rise in the region and is a very serious concern. The raised question was that who is in fact a farmer?!! Not a cultivator but a land owner. Further she described the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh- a wing of RSS- which has a noticeable presence in Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. Capitalist farmers have access to the apparatus through it. Capitalists dominate the political settlement:  Majorly, Bihari brahmins, Marwaris and Gujrati are the part of these Capitalist class. Thus at the end, local farmers loose to these powerful lobby very badly.

Dr. Dasgupta’s session highlighted the issue of famers in natural resource rich state Chhattisgarh and was an eye opener for the urban population in Delhi.

Her session was very interactive with Questions  and answers  were sought well by the enthusiastic participants. There were 29 participants consisting 16 Females and 13 Males.