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| Institution for protection of village agriculture field from stray animals - A case from Upleta village, Gujarat, India |
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Reference |
| Chokkakula, Srinivas |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| Upleta is town and has taluk head-quarters. The population of Upleta is more than 60,000. Though, it is a major urban centre, many households still continue farming. In addition to farming, most of the families have their own business. Major caste groups belong to Patels, Ahirs, Bharwads. The village has its own grazing land and it is open to all villagers to bring their animals for grazing. The present institution is not for maintaining this land. Bur, the otherway, it is to protect the individual agricultural fields from invasion of animals belonging to other villagers or animals from other villages. |
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Coverage of the Institution |
| Upleta |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spatial: Upleta village, but the fields around the town are divided into 4 parts (?). Some landmark roads delineate the boundaries. Social: It so happened over time that, farmers belonging to one caste have their fields in one part. Sometimes, it is possible that a farmer belonging to other caste can have his/her field in the area of the group with predominat occupation of farmers belonging to other caste. Though the farmer belongs to a different caste, his membership is dictated by his field's geographic location. For instance, the village has 365 families/households in the Patel's society. |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| Each area form an informal society and will have a chairman and a treasurer. For example, the Patel's society has Shri Jivrajbhai Devdasbhai Patel as its chairman and Shri Rayalal havjibhai Patel as the Treasurer. They were in that position for the last twenty years. An informal comittee meets everyday in the evening at a place in the mid of the town. The committee members are elders, generally represented by small informal groups among the 365 households. Regualr activity involves exchaniging information, debating on past and future events, gossiping etc. They review the financial position of the society frequently.
The society recruits a person to gaurd the crops in the night from animal's invasion. He will aslo have to take care of any thefts on the fields.
Each farmer has to contribute Rs 25 per acre land-holding per annum for the salry of the gaurd. The contribution by each farmer is calculated from the salary demanded by the gaurd. The committee takes decsion whether to continue with the same gaurd or recruit new one depending on the conduct of teh gaurd. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Not reported |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| Conflict can occur in two ways; animals belonging to one farmer enters the field belonging to other farmer. (ii) one of the farmer could be a cause for theft from another farmer's field. The guard reports to the committee about any suspects. The committee informally calls the suspected culprit and tries to get some compensation. In case, the suspect denies, committee itself attempts to compensate the victim (???) |
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Purpose |
| To protect crops from animal invasion |
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Country |
| India |
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Region |
| Upleta village, Gujarat |
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