Bhoodan and Gramdan were movements that were started in India in the 1950s to address the issue of landlessness and poverty among the rural population. The movements were initiated by Vinoba Bhave, a spiritual leader and social reformer who believed that the distribution of land was crucial for the upliftment of the poor and the establishment of a just society.
Bhoodan, which translates to "gift of land," was a voluntary land donation movement that sought to persuade landowners to donate a portion of their land to the landless. Bhave traveled across the country and appealed to the wealthy landowners to part with a small portion of their land for the benefit of the poor. He believed that such a gesture would not only benefit the landless but also bring about a sense of compassion and social responsibility among the landowners.
The Gramdan movement, on the other hand, was a more radical approach that aimed to bring about a total transformation of the village society. It sought to establish a new social order based on the principles of equality, justice, and self-governance. Under the Gramdan movement, the entire village was considered as a unit, and the ownership and management of land, resources, and institutions were to be shared equally among all members of the village.
Both Bhoodan and Gramdan were inspired by the ideals of Gandhi, who believed that land was a fundamental right and that the ownership of land should be based on the principle of trusteeship. The movements sought to bring about a radical change in the social and economic order of the village communities and to create a more equitable and just society.
The Bhoodan and Gramdan movements were successful in bringing about a significant change in the lives of the poor and the landless. They not only provided land to the landless but also helped to create a sense of community and solidarity among the villagers. The movements also helped to promote the idea of self-reliance and self-governance among the villagers, encouraging them to take charge of their own development.
Overall, Bhoodan and Gramdan were important movements that brought about significant changes in the lives of the poor and the landless in India. They not only provided land to the landless but also helped to promote the ideals of equality, justice, and self-governance among the villagers. These movements continue to inspire social reformers and activists across the world to this day.
Bhoodan and Gramdan movements
However, this did not happen. This is an important historical event, and government exam aspirants should have good knowledge of it. There was great potential in this seed. And it should not be lost, as therein lies not only the survival but also the progress and evolution of the human race. The idea that the people should work on their own initiative was good, but there was no sufficient groundwork. Moreover, most of this land has been received by those belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward castes, since they were the most needy. But they were made the absolute owners of the land from which they were so far collecting taxes.
Each issue contains approximately five new articles and 40-45 book reviews. Later, Bhoodan gave way to the Gramdan movement which began in 1952. Yet it was not an insignificant fact that lakhs of people in thousands of villages had come to know about Gramdan and they had given their consent for it. And though the incidence of corruption was decidedly meagre, it did affect the image of the movement. Neither did the government give resources, nor did it make arrangement for loans on easy terms. The government would never be able to free them from exploitation.
What is the Bhoodan Movement? History, Philosophy, Aim and Key Points for UPSC 2021
For Vinoba, the redistribution of land was not simply a work for temporary relief. Gandhiji gave the goal a new shape in contemporary Indian history by incorporating it into sociopolitical and moral philosophy. But vested interests were strong in the State structure; and there were some limitations of the democratic structure and the process too. Private ownership of land is no longer possible. So there is no private ownership and all receive according to their need.
Explained: The Assam Bhoodan Act and why it is being repealed
He gave the clarion call for land revolution, fixed the target of collection of 50 million acres of land by 1957. These integrated groups aimed to enact land reforms by encouraging the landed classes to voluntarily give up a portion of their land to the landless. A resource like land should not be an instrument of personal benefit and nor should it serve to make the State more powerful. The unique movement caught the attention of the entire country. While there were political workers in the Bhoodan committees, the members of the Sarvodaya mandals were non-political workers. An objection was that Bhoodan would result in fragmentation of land, which was already much fragmented; and small plots were not economically viable. It was Vinoba who gave vision to the movement and decided about its strategy and programmes.
What do you understand by "Bhoodan" and "Gramdan"?
The first hamlet to be included in Gramdan was Magroth in Haripur, Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, emphasis was put on Gramdan in Odisha. This movement only gave hardship to the workers, there was no incentive or promise of power or money or position. He remained an avid social reformer and social worker throughout his life. The only way that is left, is that of non-violence. When the protestors marched into the wealthy neighbourhood, they made a huge show of distributing a few parcels of property.
What do you understand about ‘Bhoodan’ and ‘Gramdan’?
In December 1963, the Sarvodaya conference at Raipur adopted the three-point programme of Sulabh Gramdan, village-oriented khadi and Shanti-Sena, and it was decided to intensify the Gram-swaraj movement throughout the country on the basis of that programme. In April 1951 when Vinoba Bhave was delivering a lecture at Pochampalli in present-day Telangana, some poor landless villagers demanded some land for their economic well-being. That process still continues; and despite the rhetoric of Panchayati raj, the slavery in villages is increasing in alarming proportions. He started the Bhoodan Movement, or land-gift activism, in 1951, since he was more interested in voluntary land reform than in politics. In the middle ages, due to increasing demands of the State, the land revenue started increasing.
Under the Act, the Assam Bhoodan board was established for the purpose. This movement attempted villagers to donate the land of whole village for the society. That was why complaints about corruption were voiced from time to time. But he believed that Bhoodan was necessary as a first step towards the abolition of landownership, for providing immediate relief to the landless and bringing unity and goodwill in the society. The distribution of Bhoodan land is still going on and so far around 25 lakh acres of land have been distributed to the landless poor in the country. However, it can be transferred within the village only, and that too with the permission of the gramsabha. And their power will grow in proportion to this understanding.
The biggest achievement in Uttar Pradesh was the Gramdan of Mangroth village. A voluntary land reform movement in India The Bhoodan movement Land Gift movement , also known as the Bloodless Revolution, was a voluntary The Bhoodan movement attempted to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a percentage of their land to landless people. Under such circumstances Vinoba did give permission for satyagraha; in fact, he took a lead in 1960 for satyagraha against vulgar posters and in 1976 for satyagraha against cow-slaughter. Critics at first did not believe that anyone could donate land, and when it started happening, they said that the special conditions in Telangana were responsible for it and this could not be replicated elsewhere. The work of distribution needed money, and that should have been provided by the society and the government; the movement could not be expected to bear this burden. It presented a new process for change; and it gave several ideas and programmes in this connection.
Review: The Impact of Bhoodan and Gramdan on Village India on JSTOR
A village is declared as Gramdan when at least 75 per cent of its residents with 51 per cent of the land signify their approval in writing for Gramdan. British rule over India was formally started in 1757 following the Battle of Plassey. There were differences of opinion within the movement regarding the role of the donor in the distribution of the land. Bhave himself supported traditional farming and strongly believed in traditional sage-like lives. After fulfilling the necessary requirements—which show the keenness of the villagers to advance towards gram-swaraj and demonstrates their fitness for it—any village can opt for Gramdan and get those powers. Donation of land had almost come to a standstill. To fit them in a legal framework, many states passed laws.
