September, 1011.] 



245 



AGRICULTURAL FINANCE AND CO-OPERATION. 



THE EDUCATED CLASSES AND 

 CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT. 



(Prom the Indian Agriculturist, Vol. 

 * XXXVI., March 1, 1911, No. 3.) 



The ignorance of movements for the 

 elevation of the ryot which prevails 

 among a class of Bengali publicists is 

 well illustrated by the violent contradic- 

 tion by a local newspaper of our state- 

 ment that the educated classes have 

 displayed a lack of interest in the form- 

 ation of co-operative credit societies. 

 This apathy is a matter of common 

 knowledge, and it has been repeatedly 

 referred to in the annual reports of the 

 Registrars as well as in the resolutions 

 issued by the Government. In the latest 

 of these Resolutions, published in Sep- 

 tember of last year, Sir Edward Baker 

 made pointed reference to the subject. 

 "The Lieutenant-Governor," it was 

 stated, " regrets to note that the 

 number of non-official workers is still 

 small, and that men with influence in the 

 districts are, on the whole, apathetic. 

 While cordially expressing his oblig- 

 atioa to the small band of non-officials 

 who are furthering the movement, and 

 without whose assistance no progress 

 would have been possible, His Honour 

 desires again to emphasise the increasing 

 need of non-official organisers." In his 

 annual report for the year 1909-10, more- 

 over, Mr. J. M. Mitra, Officiating Regis- 

 trar of Co-operative Credit Societies, 

 pointed out that while the villagers 

 had shown readiness to combine, and 

 marked capacity for united action, a 

 lack of support from the educated 

 classes checked the progress of co-oper- 

 ation, " Although," wrote Mr. Mitra^ 

 " there is evidence that the public is 

 giving greater attention to the move- 

 ment than before, it is very discour- 

 aging that on the whole the leaders of 

 the Indian community should be so slow 

 . to realise the immense potentialities and 

 power for good which the movement 

 possesses." A striking indication of the 

 apathy complained of is furnished by 

 the fact that out of the nine honorary 

 organisers in Bengal at the period of the 

 publication of the report, no fewer than 

 six bore European names. Where In- 

 dians of standing have come forward to 

 assist, the result has proved highly 

 beneficial. Mr. Mitra observes, for 

 example, that the rural societies in the 

 vicinity of Ranchi, as well as the Ranchi 

 Union of societies, owe their origin to 

 the energy and enthusiasm of Babu 

 Radha Govinda Chowdhuri of the 



Ranchi Bar, and he adds, " if we could 

 get a sincere worker like him in every 

 district, the movement would rapidly 

 extend. This is the crux of the question, 

 and it is to be hoped that after the 

 praiseworthy appeal to his countrymen 

 by Mr. Saroda Charan Mitter at 

 Midnapore, there will now be a dis- 

 position on the part of the educated 

 classes to assist a movement which pro- 

 mises to bring economic salvation to the 

 ryot. In spite of the indifference which 

 has prevailed among the more favoured 

 members of the community, co-operation 

 has made considerable progress, and its 

 fruits are in many cases of a most 

 remarkable character. The primary 

 object of the Co-operative Credit Society 

 is to relieve the cultivator of the burden 

 of usury, but it is not merely accom- 

 lishing this desirable object. In the 

 report to which we have alluded Mr. 

 Mitra cited many cases where arbitration 

 by 'societies was taking the place of 

 costly litigation, and he also quoted an 

 instance where a village society was con- 

 tributing to the maintenance of a Middle 

 English school. "In Khulna," wrote 

 the Officiating Registrar, " one of the 

 effects of the societies is a growing 

 demand for night and vernacular schools. 

 In several districts the societies have 

 risen to arbitration of village disputes. 

 In one or two cases they have taken up 

 successfully the question of the village 

 sanitation. One can see in these insti- 

 tutions the beginnings of the revival of 

 the old village communities, the disap- 

 pearance of which as a factor in the 

 political organisation of the country 

 everyone deplores." We have here a 

 glimpse of the possibilities of co-oper- 

 ative credit which is calculated to 

 appeal with eloquent force to every 

 patriotic Indian. But in order to make 

 the picture a living reality, intelli- 

 gent work and persistent application 

 will be required. Lip service and vague 

 and grandiloquent expressions of sym- 

 pathy with the people " are worthless 

 offerings which will not contribute one 

 iota towards improving the lot of the 

 ryot. We hope and believe that full 

 recognition will be given to these con- 

 siderations by an increasing proportion 

 of educated men who possess the time 

 and ability requisite for advancing this 

 beneficent movement. 



