Vulnerability Of Small Farmers In Dry-Lands: A Study Of Social Protection & Sustainable Practices In Telangana

Abstract

Deep rooted distress in rural India, an imminent yet conveniently ignored issue in the policy space, has been suggested different explanations by the studies underscored it. Visible symptoms of the crisis prevalent in the rural economy – suicides, unemployment resulting from depeasentisation, and losing land assets, poor prices etc. have been afflicting the sector for years and the present COVID crisis is seemingly aggravating the scenario. Known for symptomatically dealing with issues, Indian government, both state and national, has devised policy interventions to tackle these symptoms and in the name of developing the sector and increasing productivity, with whopping budgetary allocations. Despite such efforts, the crisis in the sector is continuing. In this context, interventions that are solely aimed at enhancing the productivity as a way of increasing the incomes of rural households are proven to be inadequate. Complementing them, people-centric approaches that focus on the social protection aspect against the precarity of farm livelihoods, are the need of the hour. This study is aimed at understanding the impact of agricultural interventions in convergence with social protection mechanisms on alleviating the risk and vulnerability of small and marginal agricultural households. For this purpose, Telangana is chosen as the area of study as the state is leading in terms of the agricultural and social protection interventions introduced after the state formation. Particularly, its Rythu Bandhu scheme is highly lauded and adopted by other states and national policies and it is considered to be satisfying the criteria of both agricultural and social protection instruments. Findings of this study substantiate the prominence of examining agrarian distress from a standpoint cutting across social relations of production, caste relations and ecological conditions. In addition, the study points at the multifaceted gaps and shortcomings of the existing policy landscape in addressing the question of agrarian distress. To address these issues, this study recommends specific policy interventions for small and marginal farmers to ensure equality of opportunities, if not equity, as with the medium and large farmers.