Yadu C R

In this short essay, we argue that there is a need to re-examine the narrative of structural transformation as a universal phenomenon that is expected to unfold in a linear way across time and space. The received wisdom in development economics largely neglects the political and historical roots of capitalist development and remains rather incomprehensive in its understanding of the contemporary nature of transformation taking place in the South due its fixation of gaze from a North-centric lens. Analyzing the particular nature of the processes of development specific to the South brings its own set of challenges that need to be understood in its own subjective context.

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This article tries to analyse the trends in wealth inequality in Kerala from the early 1990’s. Historical evolution of inequality has followed a ‘U’ pattern in the state with high inequality in the pre-land reform period, decreased inequality in the period of public action and rising inequality post the 1990’s. The period of high growth in the state, facilitated by huge inflow of foreign remittances and the economic liberalization, was accompanied by a significant rise in wealth inequality in the state. The analysis shows that wealth inequality in Kerala stands very high and it has recorded a significant rise post the 1990’s with financialisation of land playing a central role in this transformation. It is a clear case of a ‘winner takes it all’ situation whereby the privileged class and caste groups in the society have pocketed a significant part of the incremental wealth in the state leaving no perceptible gain for the historically deprived groups.

Kerala's widely acclaimed land reform failed to yield social equality. This article analyzes Kerala's land question from the perspective of social equity and shows that even after the much touted land reform, land inequality in the state stands very high, whether measured in terms of overall distribution inequality or social inequality. The land reform, along with other factors, resulted in the preponderance of small and marginal holdings. In the social front, the marginalized communities still stand at the bottom of land ownership. The persisting inequality in land ownership has significant stakes in the upward mobility of the margin-alized groups. The study reveals that land ownership is an important variable affecting the educational level of households and that land reform in the state widened the opportunities for occupational mobility among the marginalized groups.

Like a few millionaires among the dalits does not discredit the caste-based reservation system, a few people from the upper castes falling below a certain income level does not necessitate an economic reservation for them. While caste-based exclusions and inequalities will continue to be rampant and the reservation in the shrinking public sector fail to offer no respite for it, the so-called economic reservation will end up serving nothing to the disadvantaged classes. At the most, what it can do is to strengthen the middle-class among the upper castes which is not at all an outcome warranted.