72 PROPOSED TENANCY REFORMS 



anrest. It should be made possible for the tenants to apply 

 to the Court to have the obligation to render begar commut- 

 ted into a small annual payment to be added to the rent. 

 The annual presents in kind of grain, sferaw, etc., may be 

 left to be regulated by local custom ; though where they 

 are a source of friction it should be made competent for the 

 Court to commute them into a small money payment. 



We have now to consider the rent and the na/rami 

 payable on the grant of a lease. These two are interrelated 

 because uazrana represents economically a payment of rent 

 in advance. Thus supposing that the full rental value of a 

 holding is Rs. 200 per annum and the holding is let for 

 Us. 160, nazrana may be calculated as the present value of 

 Rs. 40 per annum for seven years, discounted, say, at the 

 rate of 10 per center more per annum, as interest rules high 

 in Indian agriculture. The way in which the landlord puts 

 the matter to the tenant was explained to me by a landlord 

 somewhat as follows. After having given the tenant the 

 notice of ejectment the landlord will call him and say '* your 

 rent is now Rs. 160 per annum, but I can let your holding 

 to any new tenant at Rs. 225 per annum. I intend to 

 increase your rent only a little to Rs.165 per annum, so I 

 shall be losing Rs. 60 per annum, if I let it to you at that 

 rate. In all 1 shall lose Rs. 420 in the seven years. How 

 much will you pay me in order that you may have the land 

 at this low rent ? Other peasants are offering me Rs.300 

 and more". Finally perhaps he allows the existing tenant 

 to retain the holding on payment of Rs. 250. If the tenant 

 has not got this, he must go to the mahajan to borrow, and 

 he may have to pay at least 24 per cent per annum interest, 

 making Rs. 60 per annum. 



It is obvious that this system is economically unsound. 

 It uses up all the tenant's free capital just that money 

 which he ought to put into better cattle, or implements or 



