2.4.5 Reemergence of tenancy and present labour status The Land Reforms (Amendment) Act of 1970 had successfully abolished the age- old system of tenancy in Kerala by providing ownership rights to the tenant cultivators. However, since the beginning of the s the system had made its reappearance in the lowlands of Kuttanad with certain alterations. A study conducted by E K Easwaran in Nedumudi panchayat of Kuttanad taluk during the year 1985 shows that 11 percent of the paddy landowners in that area used to lease out their land. While more than half of the lessors own five or more acres of land, 87 percent of the lessees possess only less than one acre of land. The present survey shows that more than 21 percent of paddy farmers in Ramakari village lease in paddy lands and area of such leased in lands amounts to 20 percent of the total area under the crop. It is found that more than half of the lessors are marginal or small farmers with less than one hectare of land and the practice of leasing paddy lands is independent of the size of holdings. Over the last few years agricultural labourers in Kuttanad have acquired a multiple status. With the implementation land reforms many of them had received plots of surplus lands their size not exceeding one acre. Some of them lease in additional land for personal cultivation, some others lease out their land and the rest of them sow in their newly acquired land and indulge in other activities during the non-farming seasons. The distinction between paddy farm workers, marginal farmers, inland fishermen, construction workers and casual labourers has narrowed down in the rural areas of Kuttanad as the very same person performs all these activities indifferent times. Eventhough the IRC for Kuttanad had upheld the freedom of farmers to fix the numbers of workers and their right to select those whom they prefer, at present the cultivators prerogative to choose specific workers is very much limited. Wages of farm labourers are periodically revised by trade unions without even consulting the farmers. Agricultural activities like ploughing, sowing, manuring and spraying insecticides are done by work groups with strong political backing. Most of the farming 37 GOK (2001):
