Scheduled castes quest for land and social equality

Quest for land for cultivation and housing has been a long charised goal of scheduled castes. That is one of the means of attaining social equality with the people of higher strata in society. Social and educational backwardness from which they are suffering since ages can be removed considerably by economic betterment with land for cultivation and educational uplift of scheduled castes man and woman. However, these can not be attained without adequate shelter and healthy living conditions.

The Akhil Bharat Anusuchit Jati Parishad thought of making an empirical assessment of the situation in rural Gujarat with the help of household sample survey and indipth study of the situation. The broad aim was to achieve the goal of objective evaluation and honest appraisal of implementation of legislations and componant plans for ameliorating the conditions of scheduled castes.

The book provides a brief historical background of the subject together with the aims and objects to explore realistic conditions of scheduled castes at ground level. To begin with, a profile of scheduled castes communities with their social background is outlined. Besides, the extent of land for self cultivation, cropping pattern, land mortgage and related issue are studied and analysed. The assessment of depend ance on agricultural labour and other kind of occupations, income, indebtedness, proverty and assets throw further light on means of livelihood of sample households of scheduled castes. The problem of land for housing in village and its outskirts is studied to throw light on many issues of viability and desirability. In the concluding part, the book provides a set of observations and recommendations to help them get integrated with main stream of national life.