The Money Lenders - "SHAHUKARS"

The Money Lenders ,"Shahukars"

There is a believe that the extreme poverty of the adivasis was caused by money lenders. In the past, the money lenders advanced seeds, grains and money to the peasantry to enable them to carry out cultivation when the seasons were poor. In the bad years they could borrow food grains from money lenders to overcome the lean months. At harvest time, the money lenders went to the villages with bullock carts which they loaded with a share of the crop. The adivasis generally exhausted their food stock by the end of February each year and they have to borrow from the Shahukars to feed their families. In May and June they have to borrow food grains for sowing during the monsoon, and money to pay for agricultural equipment. Advances for food is generally payed at 1 1/2 times; advance for seed at double the quantity. In the early part of the century, in areas effected by severe famine, there was heavy transfer of land from adivasis to money lenders. In Mahava Taluka- Baroda, in 1913, the adivasis who made 75% of the population of the taluka owned only 12% of the land while in 1895 it was 42%. Despite this exploitation, the adivasis did not feel unduly bitter towards the money lenders; the adivasis would never lodge a complaint or give evidence against the money lenders, because the credit would dry up. The money lender was considered as a benevolent elder and they could not believe that they could go through the annual cycle without the help of the shahukars. It was, however, a relationship of domination and subordination and exploitation not one of reciprocity.