A new book seeking to study the land reforms process in 11 Indian states has revealed that women in India “operate” only 12.78 % of the total operational holdings of India, covering an area of 10.34 % of the total operated area, even though there is “considerable variation” in Indian states. Action Aid, a well-known multinational advocacy group, the book, titled “Land to the Tiller: Revisiting the Unfinished Land Reforms Agenda”, quoting official figures, has said that around 25 per cent holdings in united Andhra Pradesh are operated by women, covering 22 per cent of the total oper ated area in the state, which is the highest among 11 states.
Authored by land reforms experts and activists, the comparison of women’s land holdings, drawn by editor Prashant K Trivedi, says that the figures “in a way also reflect the gender-biased nature of the green revolution, which has led to even more concentration of land.”
After Andhra Pradesh, come southern states of Tamil Nadu (19.11 % holdings operating 16.28 % area) and Karnataka (18.97 % holdings operating 15.53 % area), the Trivedi says, adding, then comes the turn of “western states of Maharashtra (14.99 % holdings operating 13.08 % area) and Gujarat (14.12 % holdings operating 13.18 % area) come next.”
“In Bihar”, “14.06 % landholdings covering an area of 13.29 % are operated by women. Comparable figures are 10.98 % and 8.17 % in Jharkhand, respectively.”
