ABSTRACT
Economic development needs to be perceived by those who govern as a holistic concept. Agrarian reform, defined to encompass land reform, can be both equity oriented and consistent with those economic development goals that emphasize raising productivity and increasing employment. Agrarian reform, however conceived and implemented, can also be more than a spur to economic efficiency and increased production. The agrarian reform legislation was designed, to the extent possible, to preserve and protect the interests of superior landholders. Early in the twenty-first century any remaining proponents of agrarian reform and land reform may finally have their day, and meaningful steps may be taken to resolve India's persistent dilemma in its agrarian sector. Whatever coalition of interests rules India in the years ahead, it is likely to be distracted for some time from issues pertaining to agrarian reform by other pressing problems.
