Page 91 - February EW 2024 PDF

Books

Since many families women. diverse problems, includ- attempts to enact laws to
of dominant castes also Indeed, the author ing the continuous struggle create a more conducive
out-migrated to urban underscores changed between Maoists and state environment for corporate
areas, it changed the gender relationships in authorities in many forest houses. Third, the author
power structure in villages. the hinterland. Political areas. In addition, they are has limited himself to
The implementation of reservations for women facing different challenges citing writing published
the Panchayati Raj has under Panchayati Raj has from corporate houses, only in English. He should
also changed the power introduced important the forest department and have also referred to
configuration in most vil- changes. However, it has others. crucial books in Indian
lages. The author under- also prompted ‘housewife- Secondly, the book languages on issues related
lines the importance of the ization’ of women and only briefly mentions to village life in India.
73rd Amendment, which their withdrawal from the famous farmers’ Nonetheless, there is no
gave constitutional status work outside the house. movement of 2020 and doubt this book will prove
to Panchayati Raj and But then again, the author describes it a movement useful for researchers and
ensured proper represen- also accepts that there are by “cosmopolitan kisans”, lay readers with interest in
tation of Scheduled Castes instances where the role (perhaps because of the the various developments
(SCs), Scheduled Tribes of women in agricultural support it gathered from in the rural landscape. The
(STs), and women. Though work has increased in the national and international author eloquently sum-
there have been many limi- marginalised castes. organisations). There marises the existing schol-
tations to implementation Nevertheless the author should have been a more arship on various aspects
of the Panchayati system, has overlooked some cru- detailed discussion of of village life, and insight-
it has undoubtedly given cial aspects: first, the book this struggle because it fully presents his critiques
voice and representation to has completely neglected represents the collective and analyses.
the marginalised sections the condition of tribal pop- power of farmers to push KAMAL NAYAN CHOUBEY
in rural India, including ulations, confronted with back the Indian state’s (The Book Review)

FEBRUARY 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 91