Palta system
In this article, let us know about palta system. In this system women involve in collaborative farming practices. Palta system is commonly called to be labour exchange system.
Palta system is a system, where the village women go to one other's fields to support each other at the time of sowing, harvesting of crops, eliminating the need of outside paid labourers.
Several grassroots activists whom I interviewed in September 1998 in the UP hills also emphasised the importance of the traditional labour exchange systems (palta) for promoting new forms of collective action. Champa, a grassroots worker from an NGO in the UP hills, put it emphatically:
In my 15 years of experience of working with women, I can say confidently that where there is a palta system it helps greatly in forming a sangathan [group]. In fact a sangathan can be built on the back of the palta system. For example when a crèche was set up in Rual village and there was need to build a room, 28 women contributed labour to build it.
All were part of the palta system. Palta is integrally linked with women’s lives and livelihoods: they exchange labour for manuring the field, for harvesting, for building homes, for fetching wood at weddings, for cooking on major festive occasions in any household, and so on. Author: Do men also have palta? Champa: Yes, as in land levelling, building houses, cutting wood, and organising religious functions. But these activities are more occasional. For women, palta is integrated into their daily existence. Also now with male out-migration, the system is mostly sustained through women.
In this article, let us know about palta system. In this system women involve in collaborative farming practices. Palta system is commonly called to be labour exchange system.
Palta system is a system, where the village women go to one other's fields to support each other at the time of sowing, harvesting of crops, eliminating the need of outside paid labourers.
Several grassroots activists whom I interviewed in September 1998 in the UP hills also emphasised the importance of the traditional labour exchange systems (palta) for promoting new forms of collective action. Champa, a grassroots worker from an NGO in the UP hills, put it emphatically:
In my 15 years of experience of working with women, I can say confidently that where there is a palta system it helps greatly in forming a sangathan [group]. In fact a sangathan can be built on the back of the palta system. For example when a crèche was set up in Rual village and there was need to build a room, 28 women contributed labour to build it.
All were part of the palta system. Palta is integrally linked with women’s lives and livelihoods: they exchange labour for manuring the field, for harvesting, for building homes, for fetching wood at weddings, for cooking on major festive occasions in any household, and so on. Author: Do men also have palta? Champa: Yes, as in land levelling, building houses, cutting wood, and organising religious functions. But these activities are more occasional. For women, palta is integrated into their daily existence. Also now with male out-migration, the system is mostly sustained through women.
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