Ahead of his times (An Article on PV Land Reforms) : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Ahead of his times

(An Article on PV Land Reforms)

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Millennium Post, Delhi (02-07-2020)

(Former PM Narasimha Rao’s revolutionary land reforms in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh have had a long-lasting impact that continues to echo in the field of agriculture in Telangana today-Editor)

            When former Prime Minister late PV Narasimha Rao conceived of Land Reforms in the then united Andhra Pradesh State, while he was Chief Minister, among many others, our family too got perturbed over the possibility of being required to surrender ancestral lands owned by us. Of course, it was Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, first elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, who eradicated the system of jaghirdar and makthedar in Telangana and introduced the law of tenancy. It had a lot of impact on the landowners with huge land holdings all over the state then and particularly in my native Khammam Taluk of Khammam District in Telangana. We too had to surrender considerable acres of lands impacted by tenancy law. Another land reform means surrendering some more lands was our fear.

            I remember the day when accompanying Late Parcha Srinivasa Rao a relative of mine and a landlord in Khammam district meeting Chief Minister PV Narasimha Rao in his official residence Ananda Nilayam in Begumpet. Late KV Narsinga Rao an advocate and close associate of PV took us to PV to escalate our fears to him. Late Tella Lakshmi Kantamma then a Member of Lok Sabha from Khammam and Late Akkiraju Vasudeva Rao minister in PV cabinet were also present when we met PV. Subsequently on couple of occasions I had the opportunity of meeting PV while he was Union HRD Minister, External Affairs Minister and Prime Minister. Along with former MP Rayapati Samba Siva Rao I met PM PV and briefed implementation of 20-point program in the state.     

 

PV who was known to have drafted by himself the land reforms bill was totally engrossed with that work then, could however found time to see us and listen to us patiently. He patiently explained the essentiality of the reforms and the need to distribute land to the landless. Setting aside our fears he told us that the land that would be left after being declared excess of holding would be enough for a family. He said he himself had to surrender hundreds of acres of lands. The history proved that, reforms with regard to land rights have shaped Telangana’s future.

It was on August 30, 1972 the then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Late PV Narasimha Rao while introducing the historic land reforms bill in the state legislative assembly spoke eloquently. His views expressed while participating in the debate reflected his strong commitment to land reforms. If they are read with the data on land holdings made public by the government of Telangana where the marginal, small, semi-medium and medium holdings account for 97%, the roots are in PV’s land reforms!

            Land reforms came in to force on first June 1973. The land legislation and its implementation envisaged among other things, redistribution of rights and interests in land in favour of the landless poor and thereby reduce the inequalities in the ownership of land; fixing of ceiling to each family unit; distribution of government land to the poor; distribution of surplus land which was hitherto in the hands of landlords to the weaker sections for agricultural purposes and house sites; better prospect for agricultural labour and democratizing and improving the socio-economic base of the rural society.

Introducing the Bill in the then State Assembly PV exhibited his authority on many features of the bill, touching upon several interesting and challenging characteristics that echo his statesmanship, his all-round knowledge on land related issues and issues related to politico-socio-economic facets. In the process PV mentioned about personnel committed to secure social justice to implement land reforms; about designated role to the High Courts in minimizing injustice to aggrieved persons; about "Stridhana" or the property held by a woman provided for in the “Dayabhage" and "Mitakshara" schools;  about providing due compensation to farmers who would lose holdings under the ceiling;  distribution of land to SCs and STs and to the backward classes: about constituting tribunals and about the need to bring an ordinance in advance. PV pointed out that he started the implementation process of the land ceiling since May 1972 by way of bringing an ordinance. It was a preventive action said PV, so that, implementation later is not defeated.

PV said that the object of the bill is to delimit of acquisitions of agricultural holdings and to prevent the big land lords from transferring large agricultural holdings in different names including their cats and dogs and other domestic animals to escape the proposed agricultural lands ceiling act. He said he has already discussed this ordinance with several important people, and they have agreed, in turn, that, this bill is very much necessary to curb, the above-mentioned practices.

In the Legislative Assembly PV said that, “the seeds of land reforms were sown as long ago as the days of Ramayana. The interest and personal attention bestowed by a small farmer on a small piece of land is much better than that of a land lord. Land reforms Act, with so many dimensions and ramifications cannot be brought by sitting at home but needs a state-wide dialogue. At the same time, consuming time on unnecessary, discussions will also help the land lord to circumvent the Act. Otherwise dogs and cats will also get a share in the land lord’s property. Hence an ordinance became necessary to avoid further damage. The bill is not aimed at taking revenge on anybody or not to put any body to loss. This is only to bring equality in society”.

Leaving little to imagination, he added “today the society respects someone who is landed and possess 500 acres or more land, He is proud and arrogant. If his land holding is reduced to some 20 or 30, proportionately his arrogance will also come down. A society that is totally depended on property, and a society where property holder is looked with respectability unless it is properly operated upon, we will be void of values. Any act is passed to benefit the people. As representatives of people we never think to bring an act that is not to your liking. Charity begins at home. Most of the legislators are from rural areas. We are going to declare our lands first. As leaders, we have a responsibility to do it first. A leader is not just for getting votes. Let me remind you that you cannot escape from this act. If you give voluntarily okay, otherwise I take through the act. People want it and want the act to be implemented”.

The Land Reforms Act introduced as a Bill on August 30, 1972 and brought in to implementation with effect from June 1, 1973 benefited Telangana to a large extent. As per the available statistics those days, about 3.14 lakhs acres of surplus land was distributed to SCs, STs and other weaker sections for agriculture and house site purposes benefiting 2.26 Lakhs people consequent to land reforms. Including this, about 23 Lakhs acres of land has been assigned to various sections benefiting about 15.84 Lakhs individuals. However, the land so distributed could not be exploited properly since the governments of those days did not bother to provide agriculture related facilities or inputs required by the small and marginal farmer and as a result the purpose was not fulfilled.  

Thanks to PV’s land Reforms not only big landlords had to surrender surplus land but also further land concentration and purchase of agricultural lands by them was stopped. When Telangana Government decided to go for land records rectification and purification, the available statistical data revealed that the marginal, small, semi-medium and medium holdings accounted for as large as 97%!

By any means if one ponders on the maximum beneficiaries of Chief Minister KCR’s Rs 10,000 per acre investment subsidy for agriculture, it is undoubtedly the small, medium and marginal farmers. It was to the credit of PV we have today the small holdings and it is to the credit of KCR they are getting the benefit! Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao rightly hailed late Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao as a reformist par excellence.