ABSTRACT
While conflict and struggle between the poor and dominant classes has never been absent from the rural scene in Uttar Pradesh, evidence examined in this study suggests that recent changes may have added new dimensions and assertiveness to the poor. The changes in the nature of dependence, contradictions and ensuing resistance analysed in this study have significant implications for the restructuring of labour relations within villages, and still wider ramifications for the political articulation of the labouring classes. The study aims to delineate the extent to which labour market changes are embedded in a wider socio-economic and political dynamic – a point which is missed in orthodox analyses of the rural labour market.
