‘Book Gaav-Gada relevant even today’

NAGPUR: Marathi author

Trimbak Narayan Aatre

’s

book

‘

Gaav-Gada

’, first published in 1915, gives an incredible description of Indian agriculture and village organization. He painted a picture of the working (gada) of a village (gaav) 100 years ago which is relevant even today, said economist

Shrinivas Khandewale

, on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a seminar on the book and its author, organized by

Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh

(VSS) and Rajhans Publications on Wednesday. Sharad

Nimbalkar

, former vice-chancellor of Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Amravati, author’s relative Shobha Aatre, working president of VSS Waman Telang and writer Ravindra Shobhane were present.

Khandewale said that Aatre was a government employee who used to visit villages to understand and solve the people’s problems. His analytical prowess resulted in the book. There are only three books apart from Gaav-Gada which talk about agricultural economics and organization of villages in India, he said.

The book describes a system of his time which was inclusive of all people, said Khandewale. “Aatre observed and criticized some practices which were counter-productive. He observed that people in rural areas carried out various economic activities despite lack of availability of resources, skills or productivity,” he said.

Aatre observed that villages grew to be self-sufficient and sustain. Even though no village had all the resources, people utilized whatever was available and were content, Khandewale added.

Nimbalkar said, ‘Gaav-Gada isn’t merely a book, it is a report on the agriculture system in India. When you read the book, it becomes clear that very little has changed in 103 years. The production has increased, but the farmer is still exploited, he added.

Nimbalkar highlighted an excerpt from the book where Aatre proverbially said ‘Kunbi ka beta aur gehu ka aata jitna peeta utna meetha’ (The more you beat the son of a farmer and wheat flour the more you get). “His (Aatre’s) saying is true even today,” he said.

“Imagine that a family of 10 can buy foodgrain for a year by earning Rs20,000. It is evident that the farmer who is responsible to sustain the people gets little in return. He was exploited 100 years ago and is being exploited even today,” Nimbalkar added.


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