Bangladeshi Colonized Peasants Socio-economic Scenarios and Technology use Dynamics in Bangladesh

DR. Kazi Abdur RoufAssociate Professor

Noble International University, USAPost-Doc Fellow, York University, Canada.

Paper presented at the 9th Annual “Decolonizing the Spirit” Conference

OISEFriday April 24-25, 2015.

Peasant issues in Bangladesh

• Capitalistic profit motive economy forced traditional agriculture to commercialization of agriculture

• Bangladeshi traditional peasants are suffering from getting their crop duly prices in commercialized market relations

• The market economy alarmingly defeated peasant subsistence economy• Their crafts are sweeping out by the imported outside industrialized products • They are suffering from huge unemployment • Their traditional values, norms, customs, cultures and practices are decaying • Peasants socio-economic scenarios are impoverishing in commercial market relations• They are unable to fulfill their basic needs; cannot cross the poverty line• Modernized agriculture technology destroys ecological balance.

Objectives of the Paper

The objectives of the paper are1.To introduce readers with the issues and conditions of life that Bangladeshi peasants are facing from crop marketing and environmental degradation in Bangladesh 2.To understand the causes and consequences of peasants’ poverty3.To explore peasants ‘ use of technology’ in agriculture.

Methodology

1. This paper is written by the author from his own experience2. Literature review related to Bangladesh peasant economy, peasant culture and

peasant technology use in Bangladesh 3. The paper uses secondary data from different studies conducted in Bangladesh.

Population increase and Land Ownership Fragmentation

• Westerguard (1978) finds that rich peasants’ loss their land sizes because of population increase

• For example, density of population was 668 in 1942, it was 1066 in 1957.• First average peasant farm size was 6.2 acres, and then declined to 4.9 acres. • Landless population was 4% in 1942; it increases to 30% in 1975.• More than 10 acres of land household were 16% in 1942• However, it stands 9% in 1975. • The above statistics show land fragmentation is increasing that affects peasant socio-

economic life.

Peasant Social Stratification in Bangladesh• Social stratification in peasant society is based on religious traditions, social class

division, land tenure system and occupation• Four types of social stratification in Muslim family: Sayed, Sheik, Moghul and Pathan. • Khanda is used prestigious family• In Hindu religion, Brahmin is the higher caste; Shaha, Dhopa and Napit are lower caste• Fishermen, blacksmith and masons are scheduled caste• Patnaik (1976) divided peasants according to land ownerships.• For example, Borhanuddin (1978) finds, in a village, 34% land was owned by top 10

families in 1951, but in 1981 it increases to 50.28%• Bottom level peasants were 60% 1981 which was 24% in 1951• However, now they own only 10% land• It means rich become richer and poor become poorer in Bangladesh.

Peasants Occupational Mobility• British introduced and collected land tax, but no services for land development • Non-agriculture occupational mobility rapidly changes among peasants in Bangladesh• For example, in Hathazari UpZilla a study finds 92% peasant family members

expressed they like to involve in non-agricultural jobs (Fatimatu-Zohra, 2013) • Jobs are: Driving, auto mechanics, plumbing, electricians, constructions, typists etc. • The study respondents think income from agriculture is less than income from non-

agriculture occupations• The study also mentions the second generation of peasants has less land than their

first generation • Because of fragmentation of land ownership.

Peasant Economy• Peasant houses a place for production and consumption • Traditional peasants are partly integrated into the market economy• Modern peasant economics are the maximization of profits, risk and drudgery (hard

work)• However, they have subsistence agriculture production and consumption• Now peasant family members are surrounded by non-subsistence demand• Corporate consumption economy is greedy of maximizing profit by exploiting peasants’

market relations• Construction of industries , housings and public buildings capture huge lands in

Bangladesh• Commercial markets control labor bazar• Technology skills level and vocational skills level are pre-requisite for jobs where

peasants left out from the labor market screening

Commercial Agriculture• Wellbeing capitalistic and feudal peasant economy rapidly disappearing• Commercial agriculture encourages modernization • Commercial agriculture is about a simple ‘mercantile economy’• However, agriculture labor wages are little• Marginal labor force is using the traditional agriculture• They are not regarded labor force in the commercial sector• Therefore, marginal peasants are suffering from risk entrepreneurs and

unemployment• They are moving to other non-agriculture occupation for their livelihood.

Village Market, Peasant Market Relations

• Village market is place of selling peasants products and a social gathering place for the rural peasants

• Now peasants need to have connections with external world through market• In capitalistic society , profit is the market principle that values are absent among rural

peasants • Moreover, peasant society power structure control ownership of land• Urban society controls peasants’ socio-economic life• Loaned peasants are bound to repay their loans immediately after crop harvesting• Crops price is low when peasant sell their products in market • This ‘forced commercialization and forced loan repaying’ process cannot give peasants

economic relief/salvation• This distress sale-crop forced peasants to improvising them• All these mechanisms impoverishing (pauperization ) majority Bangladeshi peasants

Peasant Culture

• Peasant moral values are different from capitalistic norms and values• Peasants have one kind of static mentality-subsistence production and avoid to use

modern technology• Peasants need time to catch up or to adjust cultural innovation in order to adapt urban

culture• Cultural lag keeps peasant old-fashioned• Lower technology weakens peasant total economy

Power and Authority Structure of Peasants in Bangladesh• Matabbars-informal rural elite leaders come from rich families • Five decides before Zamindars and Jotdars-land lords hold power and authority in the

society• Patron-client relation (service providers and receivers relationships) exist in the villages• Their Power and Authority Structure/pattern change • Business people, educated people, retired civil servants hold power and authority• Now money determines power and authority

Use of Modern Technology in Agriculture

• Modern peasant economics depends on expert farm management that is lacking in traditional agriculture

• Capital investment risks do not exist in traditional agriculture• A BIDS survey finds technology advanced village per head income is TK. 3304 which is

higher than 29% than technologically less advanced village• The survey also finds rich farmers’ incomes have increased 34%, but marginal peasant

incomes have increased 22%• Intensive agriculture-high use of inputs such as capital, labor, use of pesticides and

fertilizers • Agricultural machinery, farming methods, genetic engineering technologies are

techniques for achieving economies of scale in production• Marginalized peasants have no capital to use modern technology for modern

agriculture .

Use of Modern Technology in Agriculture continue-2

• Peasants are coping with the low cost simple technology • Chemical fertilizer, pesticides, GMI crop verities are not safe, healthy and

environmentally friendly• Many birds, animals and marine resources are destroyed because of spraying pesticide

in the crop fields• Topsoil depletion and degradation, and groundwater contamination; • Contamination declines family agricultural production• Green revolution contributes to increase food production ; however, chemical use

green revolution creates health hazards • Subsistence agriculture uses eco-friendly organic technologies

Peasant Poverty

• Bangladeshi poor peasants are suffering from absolute/acute poverty• They are suffering from social inequalities, deprivation of resources, injustice• Unethical human accumulation of resources, lack of food security and lack of social

safety nets are also responsible for acute poverty • Lack of socio-economic and political planning is responsible for peasant poverty• Natural disasters, draughts, flood, earthquakes, cyclones, hurricanes destroy standing

crops • Water pollution, environmental pollution, epidemic diseases, soil erosion etc. are

increasing • Industrial emissions skyrocketing• These pollutants destroy crops, destroy resources and disturb ecological balance

Recommendations

• Government fiscal budget contributes more to urban development in Bangladesh• Remote villagers get less physical and social infrastructural facilities from the state• Peasants are excluded from the industrial labor market as they are not skillful of

machines and information technology (IT)• Agriculture welfare services, crop insurance, livestock insurance is absent for the poor

peasants • Government should play a central role in reducing fiscal budget inequalities among

urban and rural areas • Assist peasant social organizations like family, clan and household to develop

cooperation among them• Revitalization of Samabay (cooperative) Bank is a must for access to peasants’ loan• Promote natural agriculture that is eco-friendly in Bangladesh.

Conclusion

• Peasants’ social organizations, traditional cultures, cultivation technologies and peasant economics (agro economics) are changing

• Traditional agriculture moving toward mechanized capital intensive agriculture • It creates inequality and injustice in the society among poor peasants by rich peasants• Peasant joint family structure is rapidly changing to single family• Peasant festivals, customs and cultures are decaying• Land tenure system has created exploitative and uneven power structure and • Patron-client relations (Hall, 1973) exist between Zamindars (Landlords) and Ryots

(tenants)• Marginalized peasants are victims of pauperization (forced sale) process• Competitive capitalist market put them out from the privilege commercial market• State should come forward to support the peasant economy and peasant culture in

Bangladesh.

Thank YouComments/Questions