RURAL LIVELIHOOD

 RURAL LIVELIHOOD CLASS -VI

1	You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non­farm work. List five of these.
	1.    Making baskets, utensils, pots, bricks bullock-carts 2.    Teaching 3.    Washing clothes 4.    Weaving 5.    Repairing cycle.
2	List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?
	ü These people are Thulasi, Sekar and Ramalingam. ü Thulasi is the poorest among them. It is because she has no land of her own. She works on Ramalingam’s field and earns Rs. 40 per day. ü Although she is not satisfied with her wages, yet she continues her work in Ramalingam’s field because of the fact that she can depend on him.
3	Poor rural labourers 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.
	v No, this is not a fair situation. v There should be a ceiling of land. It will help everyone to have some land where one can earn one’s livelihood. v Opportunity should be equal for all. v Primary education should be made compulsory. v Efforts should be made to promote education among the poor.
4	What do you think the government can do to help farmers like Sekar when they get into debt? Discuss.
	Ø Government can provide assistance to farmers like Sekar. Interest-free loan or loan at the lowest rate can help him. Ø Seeds, fertilizers and pesticides can also be provided to him on subsidised rate.

 

	Sekar	Ramlingam
Land cultivated	Two acres.	Twenty acres.
Labour required	No labour required.	He hires labour.
Loans required	He requires loan for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc. He takes loan from the trader.	He takes loans from govt, bank for establishing a rice mill.
Selling of harvest	He sells a few bags of paddy to pay back the loan.	He owns rice mill.
Other work done by them	He has a hybrid cow, whose milk he sells in the local milk cooperatives.	He owns a rice mill and a shop selling seeds, pesti­cides etc