Nurungukal...contd...

                The process of diminishing the influence of feudalism in the social set up was getting established in kerala. The first communist ministry was instrumental to this trend. The land reforms initiated by the left forces gave meaning full opportunities to the tenants to own land, which in a way gave filip to the agrarian economy. It had a positive influence on the productivity and creating better job opportunities. The younger generation welcomed this change and there was a total shift to socialist and democratic values. I was also influenced to accept the trend.

                But the anomaly that I found in his social reforms was that a few in the higher strata was left purposefully free. The land reforms did not affect the plantation crops, on the other hand the law provided adequate protection to hold any extent of land. When a family raising essential crops like paddy, coconut etc was forbidden to hold more than the ceiling limits the others growing rubber, coffee,tea were free to hold any extent of land. In fact it was clear discrimination. They also should have been made  stakeholders of the social reformation. This duel approach helped to create wider disparities in the social fabric. Or I would suspect the involvement of the dirty hands of the powerful plantation lobby in law making.A similar flaw happened in the case of forest nationalisation also. Those who conserved the forest lost and those who destroyed it and converted vast area into plantations gained  by the provisions in the law.

                 My immediate concern in those days was to acquire a job. I had sent many applications. My parents wanted me to follow my brothers who were already in service. My mind also thronged for a good job. It provided security. Even in those days our society attributed a comparatively better respect to an employee with an assured income. In the marriage market he was preferred than a farmer or even a business man. This was more so among us. My consistent attempts for a job found result when I was selected to a clerical job in Southern Railways. My father was so happy as he held railways in high esteem.A helping hand from one who was a high ranking officer in Southern Railway made my entry easier. Thus I became part of the biggest net work of that time.