Sudhir KumarAIR 42 · CSE 2017 · 194 wordsTheir whole copy
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Rural power structure in India is mostly dependent on land holding but in present times, it is changing. With influx of secular mobility through education, land reforms, legislations, reservation policy etc., the traditional hegemony of upper castes in power and status structure is eroding.
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MN Srinivas highlight this through concept of "dominant caste" like Yadavs in UP. Andre Beteille highlights this by talking multiplicity of elites in rural areas as Brahmans dominate status structure, intermediate castes dominant land and political structure.
With commercialization of agriculture, there is new class of landlord emerging - absentee landlords. Thus, land is ceasing to be a source of power or status as landholding have become less due to various land reforms and land ceiling acts.
Jajmani relations have ended and wage dominated allegiance is found in rural areas. Thus there are multiplicity of elites in rural areas contesting with each other for status, money, power. This is reflected by caste conflicts as upper castes are not able to see rise in status of lower castes.
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People of rural areas are working in cities in non-farm employments. It has added one more dimension of complexity to analyse rural elites.