Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-11, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Land –Related Problems and Socio- Political Tension in Bengal: Special Reference to Jalpaiguri District (1947- 2004) Dr. Kartik Chandra Sutradhar, Netaji Subhas Mahavidyalayay, Haldibari, Cooch Behar Abstract: During the Colonial period the agrarian many benevolent zamindars lost their zamindari by systems and agrarian structure were changed in the law of ‘Sun Set’, many peasants must sell their the different parts of India by introducing various lands and became sharecroppers or labourers due to systems, such as Permanent Settlement, Raiyotwari heavy indebtedness. Lands were utilized for Settlement, Mahalwari Settlement and in some commercial purposes by introducing cultivation of parts of Bengal and India as well lands were commercial crops like jute, tobacco, tea, blue, etc. declared as waste lands where British- India Govt. The cultivation of commercial crops was profitable, was the proprietor of the lands declaring but the profit was obtained by the zamindars, Government Khasmahal. Whatever settlement was jotdars, intermediaries, mahajans and ultimately introduced, everywhere the peasants, particularly the Britishers depriving cultivators. In a nutshell, it the small peasants, sharecroppers and agricultural can be said that the feudal system in agrarian field labourers were exploited and deprived was strong during the colonial period as because tremendously in the colonial- agrarian – economy. five or six stages of intermediaries such as jotdars, The indigenous people of Jalpaiguri district, nay talukdars, chukanidars or mulandars, dafadars, North Bengal namely Rajbanshi, local Muslim and dar-chukanidars, dar-darchukanidars etc. were some tribal communities once who had large created who had only intention to gain more amount of lands known as jotdars were revenue or wealth by hook and crook depriving and economically solvent, simple in habit, most of them exploiting the cultivators where there was no were uneducated and completely depended on question of sympathy or co-operation to the lands; they had no alternative sources of income cultivators. because they were not interested in trade and commerce or service in different sectors. But after After independence in 1947, the Indian independence since the implantation of Land Government tried to reform agrarian structure and Reforms Programmes most of the jotdars lost their agrarian systems like other reforms and lands and became helpless and after one or two development in different fields. As there were generation all most all the successors of the jotdar feudal and semi – feudal system in the agrarian families became completely poor, many of them field of India till then, existing many big became labourer, many of them particularly the zamindars-jotdars and intermediaries, many of young generation have gone outside the state for whom had giant – sized zamindari or jotdari areas their livelihood; many discontents and grievances and belong to thousand acres of lands, on the other have grown up in the minds of the indigenous hand there were so many people who had no land people as a result of which many of them involved to dowel or livelihood, it was necessary to reform in the movements of separate state. In the present the agrarian system and agrarian structure by article the reasons behind the socio-political abolishing the feudal and semi – feudal system in tensions and movements of separate state lead by the lands. Before independence the demand was the indigenous people have shown. raised to abolish the zamindari and jotdari system. The report of Floud Commission was come out in Key words:- Jotdar-zamindar, Sharecropper or 1940 where proposed to abolish the zamindari and bargadar (adhiar), Giri, Land Reforms jotdari system and declared in favour of Programmes, Kamtapur and Greater Cooch Behar sharecroppers or adhiars to have 2/3 of produced movement. crops. But it was not implemented in the colonial period. (Floud Commission Report). In the post- Introduction: colonial period by introducing the Land Reforms By introducing colonial agrarian systems, Programmes the work of land acquisition and the traditional structure of India broke down more distribution among the landless people was started or less, the village community faced a crisis; and by the Government. It is no doubt the that the Land Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1189 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-11, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Reforms Programmes had some positive roles as Land reforms in post – independence because many landless people got land for their period in West Bengal began in slow motion and it shelter and livelihood. But many indigenous jotdars only remained in papers, practically it was not or landholders lost their lands and became helpless implemented in the reign of Congress Govt. The as a result of which many discontents and West Bengal Bargadars Act (1950), the West grievances have been accumulated in the minds of Bengal Estate Acquisition Act (1953) and the West indigenous people of North Bengal. Bengal Land Reforms Act (1955) were passed gradually. Theoretically, by these Acts Government Analysis of the main theme: wanted to abolish zamindari and jotdari systems as Naturally, the Government realized the well as abolish all the intermediary systems. necessity to reform the agrarian systems by abolishing zamindari and jotdari systems all over The main reason of agrarian crisis is the India, but the task was very difficult as because the failure of land reforms and the second cause is the zamindars were politically, socially and refusal of Government to assist the peasants for economically powerful in position and in many irrigation, manure, loan and legal prices, the West spheres they occupied politically strong position. In Bengal Estate Acquisition Act and the West Bengal spite of that Govt. was eager to drive in the reform Land Reforms Act were passed in 1953 and 1955. of agrarian structure of India. Dr. Pradip K. According to the Act, the ceiling of agricultural Bhowmik writes, “Therefore the Central land has been decided 25 acres on the present and Government proclaimed only those agrarian future jotes…… For not to settle the ceiling of policies which were feasible within the limitations surplus land at per family instead of person, not to of the contemporaneous rural set up.”1 He again take initiative to stop the unauthorized and illegal writes, “It varied from abolition of intermediary alienation, and distribution of lands, not to take the tenures as emphasized in the first plan to reform of cooperation of the peasants to implement the Acts, tenancy in the second plan and also provisions for zamindar –jotdars have become able to conceal ceiling on agricultural holdings in the third plan. lands with the help of Governments 3 The concern for tenurial reform and redistribution administration. of land holding pattern was noticeable in the According to the West Bengal Estate successive plan documents.2 Acquisition Act 1953 the ceiling of different 4 classes of lands are as follows:- a) Agricultural land 25 acres b) Non – agricultural lands 20 acres including homestead (Only non-agricultural 15 acres) c) Tank Fisheries No Ceiling d) Orchard No Ceiling e) Land held by institution Established excluding for No Ceiling Religious and charitable Purpose. f) Forests were completely vested The above mentioned ceiling of lands had d) In the case of a raiyot having a family of been modified by the amendment in 1972 of the more than 5 members, 5 standard hectares Land Reforms Act, 1955 which is mentioned in the plus 0.50 standard hectares for each chapter II B. The ceiling area according to Section member in excess of 5 subject to an 14 M has been described as follows:- 5 overall upper limit of 7 standard hectares for a family, however large it may be. a) In the case of raiyot who is an adult e) In the case of other raiyot, 7 standard unmarried person, 2.50 standard hectares. hectares. A standard hectare has been b) In the case of raiyat who is the sole defined to be equal to 1 hectare in an surviving member of a family, 2.50 irrigated and 1.40 hectare in other area. standard hectares. c) In the case of a raiyot a family consisting The ceiling will not apply to any of 2 or more but not more than 5 agricultural land held by a local authority or a members, 5 standard hectares. raiyot in the hilly portion of the district of Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1190 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-11, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Darjeeling, but the exemption of ceiling provisions Anil Ch. Chakraborty, a jotdar, inhabitant in respect of hill areas expired on 31st December, of Jalpaiguri had been occupying 300 bigha lands 1977 and so the hilly areas were then subject to the in Chapadua village of Kukurjan in the district of ceiling. Jalpaiguri and obtained crops from the bargadars. The work of land Records over ceiling This year the bargadars under Krishak Sabha and distribution among the landless peasants and capture all paddies after cutting the crops. The labourers actually started from 1967 by the State jotdars became failure to take action against the Govt. of West Bengal. We get in district gazetteer bargadars. 11 It is found in Jalpaiguri, (local weekly of land records and surveys, West Bengal it is not news paper) about the motion and activities of the possible to say the exact total quantities of lands peasants, labourers including bargadars led by that vested before 1967. 6 Krishak Sabha. The cutting and harvesting of crops in this year is going to be finished almost Movement for Land Reforms gained safely………The peasants proves that they can not momentum when the United Front (U.F) consisting protect their crops as they cultivate their land.