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Bengal Without Zamindars THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY April 23, 1955 in SEATO and more than that, its to support German rearmament dence. It would be equally unjust approval of the Franco-American and SEATO. Moreover, he leads not to admit the significance of the scheme to put off the elections in a Party which is seriously divided Estates Acquisition Act. But it is Vietnam. on the very issues which sway at also just as necessary, to remind least the more thinking sections of the Bengali of certain cold realities. These can become the election public opinion. The dice appears Certainly, he has contributed richly issues if only Labour cares to take to be loaded in favour of the Tories to the struggle for independence. them up. And here uncertainty is and from the present look of things, Admittedly, the Estates Acquisition rife. The New Statesman & Nation it appears likely that they will ride Act is an achievement. But much has recorded its hope that only if home with a majority far larger remains to be done. Calcutta is not Mr Attlee would adopt a fight­ than they presently possess. With within the scope of the Act. Zamin- ing spirit and " address a militant prestige on their side, with people daris elsewhere may have been abo­ appeal to all Socialists", these issues better-off than ever before, and lished. But land reforms have yet can win for the Party a majority more than that, with an opposition to be introduced. And, then, zamin­ in the elections. But will Mr Attlee in perpetual crisis, the Tories are dary abolition will not bring in the do this? He is heavily committed likely to have a field day. millennium. When will the average Bengali get over his inclination to self-deception? from the Calcutta End PERSPECTIVE Today, when zamindary abolition Bengal without Zamindars is being celebrated, it may not be inappropriate to place Permanent N April 15, 1955, on the first any inhabitant of a raiyatwari State, Settlement in its proper perspective. O of Baisakh, 1362, the Estates this would strike as a strange and Economic history of northern, west­ Acquisition Act came into force in exaggerated claim. On the first of ern and eastern India has been in­ West Bengal. On that Bengali New Baisakh, 1362, West Bengal intro­ fluenced by three broad develop­ Year Day, zamindars and the zamin- duced a system of tenancy rights in ments. West Bengal today is what dary system ceased to exist. All land which has been long in exist­ it is because of Permanent Settle­ their rights and interests in estates, ence in all the raiyatwari States. ment. Bombay's make-up is tinged vested in the Government. On that There are, however, ceilings on with the developments relating to day, when the Bengali businessmen land holdings, which partly justify the American Civil War, Former, open new accounts, both the Govern­ Dr B C Roy's description of the undivided Punjab's, as well as north­ ment and the twelve lakh interme­ event. ern India's social, economic and diaries involved opened new ledgers. To the average Bengali, what has political set-up is a direct sequel to, In the Government's budgetary ac­ happened is much more eventful. what came to be known as the counting, " Land Revenue " will re­ It has been hailed as the end of the Punjab group of civilians. main revenue from the land. But the 162-year-old zamindary system in­ Bombay, developed into an indus­ tenant, and not the zamindar, will troduced by Lord Cornwallis when trial centre as the American Civil pay land revenue direct to the he imposed Permanent Settlement War gave her the opportunity to Government. in this province. So, the first of emerge as an exporter of raw cot­ Baisakh, 1362, has been celebrated Those twelve lakh intermediaries ton. Punjab attracted the attention as the end of feudalism, landlordism also opened new accounts on their of the British steel frame as the and the British-created Permanent New Year Day. Gone are the days educated, agitating, Bengali started Settlement. And the emotional of " najarana". No longer will creating trouble. As Punjab became Bengali now takes what little conso­ zamindars receive " rent" from the the recruiting centre for soldiers lation he can for atoning for the sins intermediaries. No longer will the for British Raj, the economic deve­ of some of his ancestors. intermediaries receive " payments " lopment of that Province started. from those holding inferior rights If some of his ancestors commit­ Ambitious irrigation projects were upto the raiyat, the man at the ted the crime of helping the East introduced. Punjab became one of bottom of the ladder, who had to India Company to establish British the most fertile tracts for growing pay so that the numerous inter­ Raj in this country, the average wheat and quality cotton. Without mediaries, including the zamindar, Bengali claims that he and his Permanent Settlement, without could receive more than each and brothers and sisters have paid the absentee landlordism, without rack all of them had to pay out, in their penalty in blood and tears. His renting, agriculture developed, and turn, to those holding superior claim to have initiated, and suffered the Punjabi agriculturistr grew rich. rights, and finally, to the Govern­ in, the struggle for independence, ment, is conceded. If, again, the claim It happened the other way about is being made, Bengal was the first in Bengal, In 1793, Lord Corn­ " PEACEFUL REVOLUTION " province in which Permanent Set­ wallis introduced Permanent Settle­ To Dr B C Roy, West Bengal's tlement was introduced, West Ben­ ment. It has been criticised as a Chief Minister, to many emotional gal is also the first State in which policy of farming-out of land revenue. Bengalis, this is not the main signi­ such large-scale abolition of the Lord Cornwallis's friends supported ficance of what happened on first zamindary system has been effected. the measure, then and on later of Baisakh, 1362. To the Chief occasions, on the argument that it REALITIES Minister of this State, the change would help create a class of rich, in tenancy rights is an "epoch- It would be uncharitable not to progressive, zamindars who would tnaking one which can aptly be acknowledge the Bengalis' contribu­ have the means and the wisdom to called a peaceful revolution." To tion to the struggle for indepen- ensure agricultural development. 490 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY April 23, 1955 dental benefits of Permanent Settle- Those who know Bengal will Lord Cornwallis's hopes did not ment and the services rendered by appreciate the different contributions materialise. Terms and conditions zamindars are being duly appreciat­ of zamindars and the superior grades of Permanent Settlement were too ed. of intermediaries to Bengal's life, rigorous. Many old zamindars failed Zamindars and the intermediaries society, culture, politics and econo­ to pay the revenue fixed in perpe­ may have fleeced the cultivating mics. One has, in recent days, heard tuity. Many zamindaris were raiyats. Permanent Settlement may much about the future of the Ben­ sold out. A new class of zamindars have caused considerable loss of gali middle-class. This is a knotty emerged, who had no interest in revenue to the State. It may have problem. But no tears need be shed agriculture or in land except making been responsible for decaying agri­ for the superior grades of interme­ money out of it. culture. It may have made the diaries who are now being divested Bengali easy-going and ease-loving. of their rights and interests in land. This new class of landlords grew But the zamindar's support and This strata of society has now esta­ rich; But agriculture suffered. It encouragement to art and culture blished itself in the professions. But was during this period that the then are now being ungrudgingly acknow­ the lower middle class and the land­ Government showed more interest ledged. If the zamindars were less labourer continue to suffer. It in securing the fixed land revenue connoisseurs and patrons of art and is this lower middle class whom than in land reforms. Numerous culture, the intermediaries, the future industrialisation is likely to regulations were introduced to upper middle-class strata of society, benefit. Promised land reforms are strengthen and to consolidate the produced Bengal's able scientists, expected to solve the problem of the rights of zamindars at the expense doctors, engineers, lawyers and pro­ landless proletariat. Will these ex­ of the raiyats. By then, due to the fessors. pectations be fulfilled? gradual increase in land values and to general economic improvement, the land revenue fixed under Per­ manent Settlement helped the zamin­ dars and the intermediaries to grow rich at the cost of the State, Soon, it became clear that Per­ manent Settlement was having un­ intended effects. Many Commis­ sions have since been appointed. Many Acts have since been passed. More treatises have been published on this problem than on any other in Bengal. Under socio-political pressure, the tendency has been pro­ gressively toward enlargement of the rights and privileges of the cul­ tivating raiyats. Even the Floud Commission, appointed by the Gov­ ernment in former, undivided, Bengal, which submitted its report in March 1940, came to the conclu­ sion that Permanent Settlement could not be mended, and should be ended. This Commission sug­ gested acquisition of all superior interests in land so that the raiyat- wari system could be introduced. This is what Dr B C Roy's Govern­ ment has just done. Placing a ceil­ ing on land holdings is the only additional feature of the measure now enforced.
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