New agro-technology and its impact on rural institutions in Orissa

Abstract

India's rural socio-cultural scenario was at the crossroads in the 1960s with the introduction of the new agricultural revolution, popularly known as the Green Revolution. One of the protracted debates that ensued during this period was regarding the economic gains and social costs of the Green Revolution. Although agrarian social structure could not retain the central place in the post-1970s period, there is no second thought that the technological revolution in agriculture has largely influenced many rural social institutions in India. The present paper is a modest attempt in re-evaluating empirically the bearing of this technological revolution on the socio-cultural scenario, and particularly on the agro-based rural institutions in Orissa. Taking the anthropological techniques like participant observations, interview and case study, the present paper tries to examine the impact of new-agro technology on the traditional inter jati relations, rural family andpower structures in a multi jati village of Bhadrak district in coastal Orissa.The study reveals that while the day-to-day relations between the jajmans and the kamins might have undergone changes this does not imply the erosion of the spirit of reciprocity wrapped with a ritual fervour, which is the characteristic of jajmani relations. It found that the ideology of jajmani as an inter jati exchange relationship continues to hold good in rural India with its usual processual changes in all its permutations and combinations just to adapt itself to the changing socio-economic realities but without rejecting the ideology behind such relations. In the case of family extensive changes have occurred in the structure, function and inter and intrn family relations pertaining to the kin labour system. The patriarchal dominance has come down giving a place to the rural women. In the context of political structure it is seen that the traditional dominance of Khandayat castes has declined due to the intervention of new technology, higher education, adult franchise. It has also strengthened the class feeling weakening the traditional caste sensibilities in the village.