Might be of interest.
For YETI
Debabrata Phukon
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Madhavi Latha" <madhavi@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: 5 Feb 2018 9:30 am
Subject: REMINDER: Talk by Nilotpal Kumar on February 5, 2018 (Monday) at
3:45pm
To: "Madhavi Latha" <madhavi@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc:
You are cordially invited to a talk titled
*Towards a horticultural society: Agrarian Production and Politics in
South India (Andhra Pradesh)*
by
*Nilotpal Kumar*
*Azim Premji University, Bangalore*
Date & Time: Monday, 5th February 2018 at 03:45pm
Venue: Auditorium
------------------------------
*Abstract*
Based on fieldwork being conducted in villages in semi-arid Anantapur
(Andhra Pradesh) since 2017, this talk suggests that the policy of
mitigating ‘agrarian crisis’ by promoting horticulture is contributing to
the recasting of rural spaces in Rayalseema region. A tiny class of farmers
from amongst the historically dominant *Reddys *and the Other Backward
Castes (OBCs) is emerging as ‘horticultural entrepreneurs’ given its
superior financial and locational endowments for groundwater. But most
small OBC and Scheduled castes dry land farmers, the late coming aspirants,
are locked out of horticulture due to high ‘entry costs’ of groundwater.
This class-dynamics is recreating local political practices in which,
first, the successful OBC entrepreneurs perform as ‘risk-taking
horticulturists’ and transact honor with other horticulturists inside and
outside their castes in the process. Second, they make new claims on the
local state by participating in rival political networks (of Telugu Desham
Party and YSR Congress) for commanding (limited) welfare programmes.
Overall, social honour and the command of the state’s welfare programmes
emerge as two major strands in regional peasant politics as natural
resources deplete and farming becomes volatile and financialized.
*About the speaker:*
Dr. Nilotpal Kumar teaches at School of Development, Azim Premji
University, Bangalore. He has Ph.D. in Development Studies from London
School of Economics. His research engages with interactions between
political economy and culture with reference to farming in India. He is
currently working on horticultural restructuring that is underway in dry
parts of South India. His previous research was an engagement with the
phenomenon of 'farmer suicides' in post-reform India. He is the author of
*Unravelling
Farmer Suicides: Egoism and Masculinity in Peasant Life* (OUP 2016).
------------------------------
*Tea/coffee will be served downstairs at 3:30 PM*
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________