DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22465#0564
•1* 3Ktn*t».gBH 4<m»< December 1J>, 1957
WHY LAND REFORMS ?
BY DR. K. N. RAJ
Land reform is so Others advocate land rights which flow from it,
muoh a part of aooepted reform for social and po- have an effeot on all as-
polioies in countries like litioal reasons—for instan- peets of life. They can-
our own that the ques- co, on the ground that dition not only its politics
tion 'Why land reform?' a systsm of property rights and eoonomics but also
may seem somewhat besi- on land which has got social institutions and even
des the point. But that crystallised over a poried moral and philosophical
is precisely why it fs has also the affect oi ideas.
worth asking the question. freezing sooial relations Tf______ . „ . ,
f j ° ., . .. .1 if one were to ask
. Most of us take a ?nd P"P«tu.ting soo.al wfa jt j§ ^ ^ ^
great deal for granted inrquahties, or from ano- tribution of properly> aBQ
when we talk of. land th" »ngle that unle.s a ^ ownWihjH in
reform. And we agree or change is brought about, |»nd matter so much in
disagree about land re- th»" 7°uld he 8<?r,OU8 an agricultural society,
form for different reason. P°lll,caJ . consequences. the au*wer i8 of oourJe
which are not always ex- Then agam there, are ie,fevident: apart from
plioitly stated. that is 10088 wn° •PPW" lana labour, land is tbe main
also why arguments about re*ormg from. whst the7 factor of production. And
land reform go on, often °*,.'»* P".™1? •oonomio nQt on,y ^ land req(lired
on different planes, at i P0,nt 01 vlew- for agricultural production
times at oross purposes It is not much use but there is the addi-
and leading nowhere. discussing in tbe abstrnot tional faot that cultivable
If we are prepared which of these ways of land is more or less in
to face squarely this ques. ' looking at land reforms fixed supply. As a phi-
tion 'Why land reform?' 18 more correot .or legiti- nese proverb says 'land
the first thing we should m»u- K*?h U «». 8 f* d°e" net breed land'. And
recognise is that there f,rent Plan<V»nd " valld. though some land can al-
ia no'simple answer to gWen premises. What ways be reolaimed, irrigs-
it. Land reforms are ad- 18 '"volved in attaching ted, and made fit for
vocated, opposed and im- more imPort»noe '° <">• cultivation, the scope for
plemented for a varietv or tbe othor of them '* 8Uoh eJEPanBion usually
of reasons Sometimes e»">nt'»»y » y»'ue of of a marginal character,
thay are based on moral judgment. It u beoause of tnis
and semi-metaphysical It would be more use- faot of more or less fixed
grounds—such as when ful, therefore, if we start supply that land is able
people say that land, like at the other end and re- to command a rent; and
air and water, is the free oognise that, in any ooun- it is because it commands
gift of God and should try which is largely de- a rent that th« pattern
not be governed by the pendent on agriculture, of ownership of land exer-
Iaws and con pen lions of the distribution of pro- oises such a profound
private property. perty in land, and the effeot on the distribution
WHY LAND REFORMS ?
BY DR. K. N. RAJ
Land reform is so Others advocate land rights which flow from it,
muoh a part of aooepted reform for social and po- have an effeot on all as-
polioies in countries like litioal reasons—for instan- peets of life. They can-
our own that the ques- co, on the ground that dition not only its politics
tion 'Why land reform?' a systsm of property rights and eoonomics but also
may seem somewhat besi- on land which has got social institutions and even
des the point. But that crystallised over a poried moral and philosophical
is precisely why it fs has also the affect oi ideas.
worth asking the question. freezing sooial relations Tf______ . „ . ,
f j ° ., . .. .1 if one were to ask
. Most of us take a ?nd P"P«tu.ting soo.al wfa jt j§ ^ ^ ^
great deal for granted inrquahties, or from ano- tribution of properly> aBQ
when we talk of. land th" »ngle that unle.s a ^ ownWihjH in
reform. And we agree or change is brought about, |»nd matter so much in
disagree about land re- th»" 7°uld he 8<?r,OU8 an agricultural society,
form for different reason. P°lll,caJ . consequences. the au*wer i8 of oourJe
which are not always ex- Then agam there, are ie,fevident: apart from
plioitly stated. that is 10088 wn° •PPW" lana labour, land is tbe main
also why arguments about re*ormg from. whst the7 factor of production. And
land reform go on, often °*,.'»* P".™1? •oonomio nQt on,y ^ land req(lired
on different planes, at i P0,nt 01 vlew- for agricultural production
times at oross purposes It is not much use but there is the addi-
and leading nowhere. discussing in tbe abstrnot tional faot that cultivable
If we are prepared which of these ways of land is more or less in
to face squarely this ques. ' looking at land reforms fixed supply. As a phi-
tion 'Why land reform?' 18 more correot .or legiti- nese proverb says 'land
the first thing we should m»u- K*?h U «». 8 f* d°e" net breed land'. And
recognise is that there f,rent Plan<V»nd " valld. though some land can al-
ia no'simple answer to gWen premises. What ways be reolaimed, irrigs-
it. Land reforms are ad- 18 '"volved in attaching ted, and made fit for
vocated, opposed and im- more imPort»noe '° <">• cultivation, the scope for
plemented for a varietv or tbe othor of them '* 8Uoh eJEPanBion usually
of reasons Sometimes e»">nt'»»y » y»'ue of of a marginal character,
thay are based on moral judgment. It u beoause of tnis
and semi-metaphysical It would be more use- faot of more or less fixed
grounds—such as when ful, therefore, if we start supply that land is able
people say that land, like at the other end and re- to command a rent; and
air and water, is the free oognise that, in any ooun- it is because it commands
gift of God and should try which is largely de- a rent that th« pattern
not be governed by the pendent on agriculture, of ownership of land exer-
Iaws and con pen lions of the distribution of pro- oises such a profound
private property. perty in land, and the effeot on the distribution