South Asian Perspectives: The Unfinished Agenda

South Asian Perspectives: The Unfinished Agenda
Editors: Mushirul Hasan & Nariaki Nakazato
Published by Manohar Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi
Price: Rs. 800/- Pages: 536

Reviewed by Dr Srirang K Jha

The book provides multidisciplinary perspectives on the emergence of the nations in South Asia. It has developed as a result of an interface between Indian and Japanese scholars at the University of Tokyo. Altogether fifteen academicians and social activists have contributed essays in the book. The articles are closely interlinked thematically and yet each is self-contained. All the essays encourage discussion on wide-ranging themes and their ramifications within the framework of colonial society and the post- independent India. Partition of India and its impact on the sub-continent appears to be a major concern of the volume as six out of fifteen essays in the book are devoted to this theme alone.

Noncia Datta, in her essay "Partition Memories: A Daughter's Testimony", has presented an in-depth interview with Subhasini who has herself experienced the scourge of partition-induced violence in south-west Punjab. The interview unravels the most candid story of partition violence and reflects on how gender, martyrdom and community identity were intertwined in order to become a guiding force in the wake of the formation of Pakistan. The interview has been supplemented by an enlightening discourse on the evolution of Arya Samaj which not only shaped Punjabi Hindu (read Jats) mindset but also spearheaded a vindictive campaign against their Muslim brethren out of 'representational fear' and as 'survival strategy' during partition mayhem.Max Jean Zins in his essay on "The 1947 Vivisection of India" underlines the importance of studying the forms of violence affecting the human beings in their own right as these forms are a witness to duly constructed social realities. He opines that partition violence far from being a 'medieval barbarism' is indeed a symbol of 'modernity of a new era for the inhabitants of the subcontinent'. Certainly this appears to be a new way of treating the subject of partition carnage. Gyanendra Pandey in his essay on " Citizenship and Difference: The Muslim Question in India" discusses how the logic of separation worked against the minorities and other marginal groups after independence.

Mushirul Hasan in his essay " India and Pakistan: Why the Difference?" maintains that 'out of various contradictory tendencies, the Pakistan must find the capacity to create a secularized state and confront the powerful trends towards authoritarianism. If the past is any indication, they have an uphill struggle ahead of them. Yet their case, with all its specifications, will be relevant to other countries trying to cope with daunting external circumstances and beset with internal problems.'Takeshi Fuji in his essay on "Mirrors of the Colonial State" provides yet another dimension to the problem of boundaries. Fuji argues that the Assam-Myanmar-Yunnan area is closely related to one-another so much so that it does not fit in well with the framework of the nation-state and suggests that the history of this area should be studied from an angle relatively free from that of nation-state history. Achin Vanaik provides an overview of Indian foreign policy from independence to present day in his essay on " Indian Foreign Policy and Secular Perspectives". He explains both the strengths and weaknesses of non-alignment as the guiding framework of Indian foreign policy from early 1950s till 1980s.

Sekhar Bandopadhyay discusses the question of self-inflicted 'otherness' of dalit identity in his essay on "Mobilising for a Hindu Homeland: Dalits, Hindu Nationalism and Partition in Bengal (1947)". M S S Pandiyan analyses the colonial and post-colonial mode of resisting modernity. Kohei Wakimure and M M Islam in their essays discuss problems of healthcare and agriculture production during the colonial period. The economic aspect of the transfer of power, hitherto a neglected field of study, has been dealt with in an essay on "The Transfer of Economic Power in India" by Nariaki Nakazato.

However, the book is neither a millennium volume nor an exhaustive account of Indian past and present. At best, the concerned scholars have attempted to explore from their very different perspectives, some of the challenges before Indian Republic in its quest for a democratic, secular and egalitarian society. Even the editors of the volume have admitted that many critical themes remain unexplored in the book, which they hope, would be taken up in future.

People and Forest: Unfolding the Participation Mystique

People and Forest: Unfolding the Participation Mystique
By Himadri Sinha.
Published by Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi in 2006,
Pp xxv+302pp, Rs. 500 (HB), ISBN 81-8069-246-9

Reviewed by Srirang K Jha

The book under review is a comprehensive treatise on Community Based Forest Management (CBFM). The author has tried to explore the impediments in successful implementation of CBFM and provided a blueprint of action plan to enhance the level of people’s participation in the managing the common pool resources including wasteland, pastures, forests, watershed drainages, ponds, rivers, dumping and threshing grounds etc. Of all the common pool resources, forests are the most important as they provide subsistence to majority of tribal and forest communities in India. As all the common pool resources in the country are owned by the government, the communities surviving on them do not have any ownership rights. The government also tries to keep them at bay on the pretext that they are causing depletion of forests due to excessive extraction of fuel and fodder and also illegal felling of tress. However, the bureaucratic management of forests by the Forest Department in the country has not yielded any significant results as evident by rapid depletion of forest cover in the country. Hence it is imperative to look at the issue form a different perspective and provide an opportunity to the stakeholder communities in managing the forests.

In the introductory chapter, the author has listed seven constraints that are responsible for lower participation people when it comes to managing forests:
i. Formation of forest committee with heterogeneous interest groups;
ii. Absence of favourable socio-political environment that promotes participation;
iii. Incompatibility of government rules with the local socio-cultural concept;
iv. Absence of transparent and accountable managing committee;
v. Absence of participatory leadership with idealized behaviour in forest management;
vi. Inappropriate inter- and intra-community conflict resolution mechanism;
vii. Lack of awareness regarding environmental protection leading towards incongruent value system between leaders and users.

The author has discussed the issue of social identity and participation of people in CBFM in the second chapter of the book. He has argued that people’s participation depends primarily on social identity, group-based identity and organizational citizenship developed by an institutional process that ensures individual freedom of choice, local self-governance, pre-eminence of local rights and knowledge system, thrust on consensus and above all, participatory leadership.

Impact of institutional governance on people’s participation in CBFM has been examined in the third chapter of the book. According to the author, institutional governance undoubtedly augments level of people’s participation in the CBFM. He suggests that the individuals are more likely to cooperate with the group activity if governing rules ensure equity in access right and benefit sharing process; safeguard participation of all sections in decision-making process; ensure appropriate monitoring; conform to the traditional or existing system of governance; and provide scope for modification or amendments in the existing rules as a response to changed circumstances and demands for sustenance.

Issue of leadership and value congruence vis-à-vis people’s participation in CBFM based on empirical study conducted by the author has been discussed at length in the fourth chapter of the book. Outcome of the empirical study indicates that (i) wherever values of forest institutions and members are identical, level of participation automatically goes up and (ii) a participatory leadership enhances the direct and indirect participation of the people while manipulative and authoritative leadership reduces the level of involvement of the concerned communities. Participative leader is preferred by the community because he promotes collective decision-making and administers rewards and sanctions objectively. On the other hand, the authoritative and manipulative leaders indulge in non-transparent working styles, favoritism and self-centred decision-making. Moreover, capacity of the charismatic leader is restricted to enhancing only direct participation as reflected in increased attendance during meetings. Such leaders fail to inspire people for long-term indirect participation.

Role of social capital in management of common resource pool has been discussed in fifth chapter of the book. Social capital refers to social bonds, social structures and social norms that form the bases of sustainable livelihoods. The author succinctly suggests that social capital plays a crucial role in managing natural resources judiciously for economic development. He further states that social capital stimulates people to participate in sustainable resource use and become self-reliant in due course.

In the sixth chapter of the book, the author has examined the Joint Forest Management in the light of National Forest Policy 1988 and the June 1990 Guidelines. He mentions that the Joint Forest Management scheme has by and large failed to provide a fair deal to the poor forest-dependent communities whose traditioanl entitlements are jeopardized. Protected forest areas are closed for them without any alternative source of livelihoods. Forest management practices especially social forestry in South East Asia has been analyzed in the seventh chapter of the book.

Best practices in self-initiated and NGO-led community based forest management have been discussed in the eighth chapter of the book. The author has mentioned success stories of Lapanga Forest Protection Committee, Bichhakhani Village Forest Protection Committee, Badamala Village Forest Initiative, Bania Forest Protection Committee, etc. All these initiatives were taken in the named villages of Orissa. Similar initiatives were taken by village communities in Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh as well. In order to optimize people’s participation, the government and NGOs need to look into the best practices by voluntary village committees for forest conservation.

The last chapter of the book reflects on the action plan to augment people’s participation in Community Based Forest Management. The book is equally useful for academics, students, planners, social activists, and officials of forest department.

Land Reforms Administration in India: An Unfinished Task

Land Reforms Administration in India: An Unfinished Task
by Beni A Ekka.
Published by Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi. 2005. Pages xi+282 Rs 300/- $100

Reviewed by Dr Srirang K Jha

The author has examined the issue of land reforms administration in India from diverse perspectives in the book under review. The book tries to raise certain difficult questions and find appropriate answers to them in order to unravel land-caste-power axis in the context of land reforms policy under democratic rule. Basic purpose of any land reform endeavour is to rationalize the land holding by taking land from those who have a surplus and distribute the same among the landless peasants. The onus of implementing the reforms rests with the bureaucracy. As a large number of bureaucrats belong to the dominant caste who have traditionally owned huge tracts of land and who are yet to overcome their feudal mindset, their role in implementing the land reforms has always been viewed with suspicion by the social activists and the landless peasants themselves. This position is further reinforced by the dismal outcome of almost five decades of land reforms efforts in states like Bihar.
A comprehensive introduction in Chapter 1 is followed by a descriptive and analytical account of land reforms from historical and political perspectives. In Chapter 2, the author has examined the land reforms administration under Hindu period, Mughal period and British period. During the Hindu period, land belonged to the tillers and land of those who did not cultivate was confiscated and given to one having an intention to use the same according to Manu Smriti and Arthashastra. Quoting a number of authentic sources, the author has claimed that the king did not have any property rights in land except the right to share the produce to the extent of 1/6th to 1/4th. Moreover the community also owned large tracts of land all the members used the same for varied purposes. The king owned land, which was again given for sharecropping. During the entire Hindu period the concept of land revenue in cash was unheard of.
During the Mughal period, land belonged to the emperor and he appropriated the same among his vassals thereby creating a typical feudal system. The emperors also tried to systematize and standardize land revenue. During the reign of Akbar, 1/3rd of the 10 years' average produce was fixed as the land revenue which was payable in cash. The Mughal emperors had evolved an elaborate bureaucracy for administration land revenue rules. Many offices in due course became hereditary. Interestingly, the emperors had also appropriated land on tax-free basis to temples, mosques, centres of learning and other institutions. Sometimes noble families also befitted from such gratis of the emperor. The British devised their own method of land revenue administration, which is better known as land settlement. Initially the British Raj gave rights of land revenue collection to erstwhile landlords in lieu of a fixed amount. Later the offices of District Collectors were created for more efficient land revenue administration. Land reforms measures under the planned economy have been discussed in Chapter 3. The author has succinctly outlined the objectives of land reforms as (i) changing the antiquated land ownership systems for equitable distribution of land; (ii) providing security to the tillers of land; and (iii) creating conditions for agrarian development and better land management. The government ushered in a number of legislative measures to accomplish the objectives of land reforms e.g. abolition of zamindari system and other intermediaries between the state and the tillers; tenancy reforms; fixation of ceilings on holdings and distribution of surplus land among the landless peasants; reorganization of agriculture through consolidation of holdings; and development of cooperative farming. The author has also examined various provisions of land reforms in the five year plan documents. He has also tried to explore the reasons of delayed implementation or non-implementation of land reforms in this chapter.
Chapter 4 of the book provides a critical insight into land-caste-power axis. The author has categorically mentioned that land reforms failed by and large due to implementation failure caused by lack of political will and commitment on the part of ruling party; absence of adequate infrastructure; absence of committed bureaucracy; absence of proper land records; absence of any significant lobby of the landless peasants and above all a remarkable conflict between ideological loyalty and caste loyalty. Bureaucracy is indeed very crucial to land reforms at all the three stages -policy formulation; implementation and monitoring. Unfortunately, the bureaucrats have taken up the land reforms only half-heartedly due to their caste affiliations because the majority of the beneficiaries of the land reforms would be Dalits and other vulnerable groups.
The author has examined the impact of land reforms administration across the country in chapter 5. He maintains that land reforms have failed in the country except a couple of provinces e.g. west Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. He attributes the failure to the will of the political parties, which can otherwise get even the most difficult tasks done by the bureaucrats. Since the bureaucrats themselves lack a strong will to implement the land reforms, any legislative effort in this direction always meets the dead ends. The political leaders provide lip service to the poor and vulnerable segments sans any formidable zeal to improve the lot of the landless peasants by means of equitable distribution of land among them. They are cheated year after year through fake promises on the eve of every general election.
Chapter 6 of the book provides a blueprint of action for effective implementation of land reforms in the country. The author suggests that the Panchayati Raj Institutions should be empowered to take up the implementation of land reforms, special tribunals should be set up for speedy disposal of land and tenancy disputes, monitoring mechanism should be strengthened, all benami transactions should be declared illegal, land records should be updated and computerized, government should distribute the surplus land among the needy at the earliest and prepare a timeframe for the same, fake tenants should be identified and punished and cost of implementing the land reforms should be provided under the five year plans.
The book is a useful resource for the administrators, policy makers, academics, students, researchers, and social activists. However, there are a good number of editorial and proofing errors, which may be rectified in the second edition of the book.

Globalization and Labour-Management Relations: Dynamics of Change

Globalization and Labour-Management Relations: Dynamics of Change
By C S Venkat Ratnam
Published by Response Books, New Delhi
Price Rs 520/- (HB) Pages 342

Reviewed by Dr Srirang K Jha

The New Economic Policy launched in India in 1991facilitated the development of an unorthodox approach to Industrial Relations. The traditional role of the trade unions was relegated to the background while new paradigms of employee-employer relations emerged as a direct consequence of the globalization process. Not only has the profile of the workers changed but also the nature of work. The emerging scenario in the realm of Industrial Relations also gave rise to several pressing issues such as impact of rationalization, structural changes, erosion of social security coverage, rehabilitation of the redundant workers, decline in the number of workers in the manufacturing sector, ascendancy of employer rights, increasing vulnerability of trade unions due to technological, economic, structural and other changes, labour reforms providing upper hand to the employers in terms of recruitment, retrenchment, outsourcing etc.

In the book under review, C S Venkat Ratnam has comprehensively studied all the facets of labour-management relations in view of the globalization of Indian economy. The author has added enormous value to the book by incorporating an objective discussion on some important concerns such as judicial activism vis-à-vis protectionism and social clauses within the framework of India’s commitment to international labour standards; flexibility and workforce adjustments vis-à-vis equity, and efficiency; competitive labour policies vis-à-vis labour laws in different provinces of India.

Venkat Ratnam has evaluated the socio-economic impact of liberalization in India in the chapter on Labour Management Relations and the World in Transition, The Economic and Social Dimensions of Structural Adjustment Reforms, and Social Dialogue and Reform Process. In these chapters, he has looked at the co textual factors as well as the role of politics and governance. A major flaw in the reform process, he says, is the inadequacy of social dialogue. Majority of workers in the informal sector have been excluded in the whole process as the social dialogue has hitherto been limited to discussions between the government and the representatives of organized trade unions and employers’ organizations. Thus, an important segment of stakeholders has remained outside the ambit of public policy which is concerned with their livelihood. The author rightly observes: ‘As a result of structural changes, labour reforms have led to reduction in guarantees, including job security, minimum wages, working conditions, and social security provisions. Gradually, new systems of social security nets which provide income security without job security are evolving’.

In another chapter on Economic Development and Industrial Relations, Venkat Ratnam has discussed why and how the policies of economic development need to be aligned with industrial relations policy. He has compared the changes in the policies pursued in South East Asia during the early and advanced stages of import-substitution with those pursued during early and advanced stages of export-orientation and concluded that the emphasis should be on developing sound labour-management relations instead of merely concentrating on dispute resolution. The author suggests that efforts should be made at a synthesis of ‘efficiency’ and ‘equity’ models. In his opinion, the pure efficiency model can be faulted for its long-term suppression of labour rights, which leads to conflicts and to the destabilization of Industrial Relations because a weak trade union is unable to participate in workplace decision-making process. On the other hand, the pure equity model can be faulted for the ability of their workplaces to react flexibly to changing environment.

The critical issues of human resource obsolescence and socially responsible restructuring have been discussed in a chapter on Labour Adjustment Process. Cost-based competitiveness and value addition as the source of competitiveness are main tools of labour adjustment process. These strategies lead to human resource obsolescence. Venkat Ratnam opines that the management should take utmost care so as to minimize the intensity of obsolescence. The author has also emphasized the need of tripartite consultations for job maintenance and job creation as envisaged in the convention of International Labour Organization.

Venkat Ratnam has also underlined the need of aligning labour polices with economic polices and industrialization strategies. He observes that the content and purpose of labour policy and labour law should focus on facilitation rather than regulation, pro-action and reaction, and on the creation of harmonious relations conducive to social and economic development rather than dispute resolution. A decline in the role of the state in economic activity need not necessarily lead to a decline in its regulatory role in Industrial Relations. In fact, when the private sector becomes an engine of growth, the state may need to play a much stronger role in ensuring a balance between the rights of both the labour and the management.