Rural Livelihoods

Question 1: You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non-farm work. List five of these.
Answer: In Kalpattu, a variety of non-farm work is evident among the villagers. Five of these are:

1. Running teashops and selling local snacks like idli, dosai, vadai, and mysorepak.
2. Blacksmithing, where families run a workshop from their homes.
3. Operating cycle hire and repair shops.
4. Working as construction workers and lorry drivers in nearby towns.
5. Providing laundry services, with families earning their living by washing clothes.

Question 2: List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?
Answer: Different types of people in Kalpattu who depend on farming include:

1. Agricultural laborers like Thulasi, who work on others’ lands.
2. Small farmers like Sekar, who own and cultivate their small plots.
3. Large farmers like Ramalingam, who own extensive land and employ laborers.
   Among them, the poorest are the agricultural laborers like Thulasi. They do not own any land, rely on seasonal work, and are often subject to low wages and job insecurity.

Question 3: Imagine you are a member of a fishing family and you are discussing whether to take a loan from the bank for an engine. What would you say?
Answer: Being a member of a fishing family, I would argue in favor of taking a loan for an engine. The engine will enable us to travel farther into the sea, potentially leading to a better catch. This can increase our income, offsetting the loan cost over time.

Question 4: Poor rural laborers like Thulasi often do not have access to good medical facilities, good schools, and other resources. You have read about inequality in the first unit of this text. The difference between her and Ramalingam is one of inequality. Do you think this is a fair situation? What do you think can be done? Discuss in class.
Answer: The situation highlighting the stark differences between Thulasi and Ramalingam is a clear example of inequality, and it’s not fair. Thulasi’s lack of access to medical facilities, education, and other resources is a significant disadvantage compared to Ramalingam’s better circumstances. To address this, equitable resource distribution, better access to education and healthcare, and fair wages for laborers like Thulasi are crucial. Government intervention in providing basic amenities and social welfare schemes can also help bridge this gap.

Question 5: What do you think the government can do to help farmers like Sekar when they get into debt? Discuss.
Answer: The government can assist indebted farmers like Sekar through various measures:

1. Implementing debt relief programs or providing subsidies.
2. Offering low-interest loans and ensuring easy access to credit.
3. Providing insurance against crop failure due to unforeseen circumstances like droughts or pests.
4. Introducing agricultural training programs to improve farming techniques and productivity.
5. Ensuring fair market practices to prevent exploitation by middlemen and enabling direct access to markets for better pricing.

Question 6: Compare the situation of Sekar and Ramalingam by filling out the following table:
Answer:
SEKAR:

1. Land Cultivated: Two acres.
2. Labour Required: Minimal; mainly family labor, occasional help from other farmers.
3. Loans Required: Yes, for seeds and fertilizers.
4. Selling of Harvest: Sells part of the harvest to settle loans, uses the rest for household consumption.
5. Other Work Done: Works in Ramalingam’s rice mill and sells milk to local cooperative.

RAMALINGAM:

1. Land Cultivated: Owns 20 acres of paddy fields.
2. Labour Required: Employs laborers like Thulasi.
3. Loans Required: Borrowed for rice mill and seed shop business.
4. Selling of Harvest: Sells rice produced in the mill to traders in towns.
5. Other Work Done: Operates a rice mill, owns a shop selling seeds and pesticides.