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Redistribution of public lands is an easy first step in land reforms. Land reform in Philippines is one of the best examples to learn from, having successfully redistributed 63% of the total land targeted, most of which have been either public land or have been obtained through voluntary sale.
However, in India, almost everywhere, land reform has met with strong resistance from the landed elite. During the Tebhaga movement in West Bengal, the resistance to amendments in the Bengal Tenancy Act was so great, that the government had to abandon the project. Enormous political will is the key to attaining fruition of the land reform agenda.
Experience further shows that simply redistributing land from the rich to the poor may not be enough to attain the objective of a more egalitarian rural society. First, an important problem that must be dealt with is the protection of the redistributed land against land-grab. Often, due to greater bargaining power and the use of muscle power, landowners have been able to regain the land allotted to the farmers, either through sale or through force. Therefore, land reform law cannot stop only at redistribution of the land, but must also ensure their security.
Secondly, the land that is redistributed may not be sufficient to meet the basic needs of those who have newly acquired it. For instance, it has been reported that, at times, while land was allotted to SC/ST families, it was useless because either the plot belonged to somebody else or was on stony, infertile land. Thus, any land reform measure must aim to procure ‘secure and productive’ land and redistribution rights.
A bottom up approach is necessary for success in land reform. Legislators must ensure participation of the farmers in deciding boundaries, noting claims and complaints and recording opinions and objectives of the village members. In Madhya Pradesh, the formation of district- level task forces to settle land related grievances greatly aided the reform process. In Kerala, the government officers went to the villages and spoke to the farmers to verify boundaries; in West Bengal the government conducted camps to spread awareness and familiarise them with official procedures.