Understanding Justice Ranade and the Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act

The question asks why Justice M.G. Ranade welcomed the Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act. To understand this, we need to look at the context in which this act was passed and its main provisions.

Context of the Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act

The Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act of 1879 was enacted by the British government primarily as a response to the Deccan Riots of 1875. These riots were an agrarian revolt by the peasants of the Deccan region (mainly in Maharashtra) against the oppressive practices of money lenders. The peasants were burdened by heavy debt, high land revenue demands, and the exploitative tactics of the money lenders, which often led to the loss of their land.

Provisions of the Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act, 1879

The Act aimed to address the grievances of the peasants and prevent future uprisings. Its key features included:

• Protecting farmers from usurious money lending practices.
• Restricting the power of money lenders in courts.
• Making contracts between farmers and money lenders subject to scrutiny by courts.
• Preventing the transfer of land from farmers to money lenders easily.
• Providing a mechanism for debt settlement through court intervention.

The primary focus was on regulating the relationship between farmers and money lenders and curbing the latter's exploitative power.

Justice Ranade's Viewpoint

Justice M.G. Ranade was a prominent social reformer, economist, and nationalist leader of the time. He was deeply aware of the economic plight of the Indian peasantry and was critical of the exploitative systems that impoverished them, including the role of money lenders and government revenue policies. He advocated for reforms that would improve the economic conditions of the masses.

Analyzing the Statements

Let's evaluate the given statements based on this understanding:

1. (a) This act would protect the farmers from the money lenders

   This statement is accurate. The Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act was explicitly designed to curb the power of money lenders and protect farmers from their predatory practices and the resulting land alienation. This objective directly aligned with the concerns of reformers like Justice Ranade, who saw the money lender issue as a major cause of rural distress. Therefore, Justice Ranade would welcome the act for this protective measure.

2. (b) By this act, the farmers would be relieved of the debt burden

   This statement is partially true in the sense that the act provided mechanisms for courts to examine debt claims and potentially reduce the amount payable or settle debts. However, the act did not provide widespread debt cancellation or automatic relief from debt burden. Its main thrust was on regulating future transactions and making debt recovery through courts less harsh on the farmer, primarily by protecting their land. While it aimed to alleviate debt-related issues, "relieved of the debt burden" might imply a more direct and complete relief than the act actually provided. The core welcome aspect from Ranade's perspective would be the protection from the power of the money lender, which was the root cause of the unsustainable debt and land loss.

Conclusion

Considering the main objective and impact of the Deccan Agriculturist Relief Act and Justice Ranade's known stance on agrarian issues, the most accurate reason for him welcoming the act would be its provision for protecting farmers from the money lenders' exploitation. While it offered some mechanisms related to debt, its fundamental protective aspect against the money lending system was its most significant feature, which Ranade would undoubtedly support.

Therefore, statement (a) is the primary and most accurate reason why Justice Ranade welcomed the Act.