Accidental gamblers : risk and vulnerability in Vidarbha cotton / Sarthak Gaurav, Thiagu Ranganathan.
ISBN
9781108935814 (ebook)
9781108832298 (hardback)
Publication
Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Physical Description
1 online resource (xxiii, 497 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).
Local Notes
Access is available to the Yale community.
Notes
Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 21 Apr 2023).
Access and use
Access restricted by licensing agreement.
Summary
Vidarbha - a major cotton growing region in central India has been the epicentre of a protracted agrarian crisis. Chronic indebtedness and farmers' suicides continue unabated despite decades of state intervention. Going beyond the contemporary discourse that finds fault in neoliberal policies and integration with global markets, this fascinating book tells the story of how nineteenth century 'accidents' particularly in the form of colonial policies and the American Civil War ushered in institutional transformations that shaped the region's cotton economy. By drawing insights from their longitudinal study in villages of the region spanning 12 years, Gaurav and Ranganathan present the 'gambles' that farmers are part of. The novelty of combining a long view of history and evidence based on primary field research results in a book that underscores the importance of investigating roots of agrarian crisis and paying attention to adjustments of farm households, at a crucial juncture in India's economic transformation.