Farm technology and the changing views of farmers regarding caste system

Pages: 12-16
Neeru Bala (Department of Sociology, Govt. Sr. Sec. School Chakkan, Sirsa, Haryana)
Darpan Saluja (Junior Programmer, GJUS&T, Hisar, Haryana)

The study attempts to examine the nature and extent of farm mechanization in relation to changes occurred in socio-cultural and economic life of the rural people as caste relationship, The study in no way suggests that all social changes are caused by farm mechanisation, nor it does claim that a certain proportion of such changes are due only to farm mechanization. What is attempted here is the way farm mechanization has affected social change. The study was conducted in rural agricultural Haryana following the criteria of advancement and backwardness of the agricultural area. For the purpose two districts were selected, one in which certain forces of changes and development were present and other where they were absent. A block was randomly selected from each district i.e. Asandh block from Karnal district and Bawani Khera block from Bhiwani district. From the selected cluster of -villages a list of all the farmers of the village was prepared and from that list 150 respondents were selected randomly keeping in proportion farmers to the total population of the villages identified in the cluster. So on the whole a total of 300 respondents were selected from the identified clusters. The study therefore, assumes that the technology and society are interdependent in the sense that former causes change in the latter which in turn affects the former.The study resulted that the attitude towards untouchability showed that more of tractor owners than bullock owners were against it and found more liberal in caste relations. Further there was greater reduction in dependence on differen t servicing castes in case of tractor-owners than bullock owners. Likewise inter caste relations have also undergone change more in case of tractor-owners than bullock owners. There were more tractor owners than bullock owners who were willing to enter into different kinds of social relationship with other castes of different standing, even to the extent of interdinning. However, resistance towards intermarriage is still strong among people irrespective of their caste background.