ABSTRACT
The chapter, “Collectivization of Farms and Habitations” explores two of the Därg’s policies, particularly the collectivization of production (APCs) and habitations (villagization). The sources used to reconstruct the chapter came from the fieldwork conducted from 2006 to 2008, mainly by interviewing informants affected by these institutions directly and/or indirectly; literature from Arssi in various forms and AAU libraries and elsewhere; newspapers and others were also gathered and exposed to historical research methodology’s examination. APCs are said to be one of the strategies to establish a socialist economy; Mängestu once alleged that they were the only one. According to the 1979 guideline, PAs, SCs and collective farms were transient institutions to be transformed to APCs. Collectivization of production and habitations were again of foreign origin to develop peasant agriculture. The theory behind them is that fragmented small-scale land holdings and dispersed settlements would cause backwardness of agrarian and agricultural development. They ought to be, thus, replaced by joint production and clustered settlement. APC was based on Lenin’s principle of “from each according his work to each according to his ability.” Villagization had followed it soon allegedly for the same purpose and also to create access to roads, health facilities, education and expansion of other necessary socio-economic facilities. ARDU, SEAD, COPWE and WPE had toiled hard to establish both, especially the so-called model APCs, for others to follow the suit. Model APCs like that of Lolee Bulchanaa were successful while others, the ordinary APCs, in fact the majority, simply brought misery to members and the local population. It is the finding of this study that both (APCs and clustered villages) and other many Därg policies were implemented with coercion while the resistance was correspondingly strong but suppressed. Arssi is said be one of the success stories in building socialist economy in Ethiopia and was classified by the Därg as one of the four surplus-producing regions of the country. These were all propaganda and could not as such bear fruit. The administration of the APCs was supported by the state and led to the creation of a new class. Without the auditing of their assets, corruption was unchecked. Of their yield, only 2% was shared among the members. The difference between high and low point scorers was insignificant in the yield share. The grievance against these and other Därg policies was building up. When a mixed economy was declared, APCs and cluster villages were soon dispersed and attempts to save them were in vain. Collectivization at any form, in the end, brought misery, suffering and hatred of the regime. Among other policies of the Därg, APCs and villagization were the most detested ones by peasants while officials and APC committees favoured them in order to use them as a shield for self-promotion and enrichment. Under these circumstances, it would be naïve to expect both agricultural and agrarian development.
