SERICUL TURE AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE - Institute for ...

SCs in the village. All the drop outs own cultivable lands but do not
have any experience of sericulture. Moreover, the drop-outs, did not
have a desire and nor possessed the adequate capability to take up
sericulture. Their motivational level had also been very low. Land being
the major requirement for sericulture, they were persuaded to take up
sericulture with the sole motivation of a subsidised credit, only to meet
the target of identifYing the SC sericulturists. They took up sericulture
mainly for the lure of material benefits. In contrast, the only surviving
sericulturist belongs to 'Samba' another sub-caste positioned at the
lower strata among the SCs. He has no land but has long years of
sericulture experience as mentioned earlier. He took up sericulture on
his own and continues to have a working relationship with his former
patron. He is doing sericulture with lease-land and has been largely
successful.
Similar is the case with Mariappan in K K Pura. He is a Palavam,
a Scheduled caste. He was owning three acres of dry land. He had been
working as a contract labour for nearly fifteen years in a particular
Gounder family, which has been in sericulture for more than ten years.
Two years back he dug a weU, with the help of a loan under IRDP
scheme. This had helped him to adopt sericulture, which was readily
encouraged by his patron. He approaches his former patron, whenever
he needs any assistance. He also extends his help when the patron needs
his labour. His wife and daughter continue to be the assured casual
labourers for his former patron.
In general terms, inadequate preparation, poor motivation and
lack of proper infrastructure had only resulted in poor retwns. In
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