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The 'problem' of shifting cultivation in the Garo hills of north-east India, 1860- 1970
Bela Malik

Although several alternative critical perspectives on shifting cultivation have been elaborated, the practice of this form of agriculture continues to be viewed in north-east India in a deprecatory manner. This pervasive attitude has now come to affect the cultivators themselves. While the calculations and compulsions of the electoral process do confer some space for shifting cultivation, it survives in extremely sub-optimal circumstances. The gap between what could be done and what has been done has worked to the disadvantage of shifting cultivators. This essay studies the historical processes that gave rise to this situation and is part of a larger study based on extensive written records and fieldwork in the Garo hills region.