Outcomes of being rooted

Best of myself - 2

Having revealed in the previous post, the necessity to maintain a close bond with our ancestral roots, let me introduce today on outcome learnt of a system called 'Guthge' a word of mouth lease practiced since long time in and around my village at Gokarna, Karnataka state. 

  

Introduction: 

A lease may be made either by writing or by word of mouth - from ‘The Law Dictionary: Defining and Interpreting the Terms of Words of Art and Explaining the Rise, Progress and Present State of the English Law, Volume 2’ by Thomas-Edlyne Tomlins (1762–1841) an English legal writer. The book helps deduce the fact that such lease agreements more so the latter, may have been defined as above for the then existing practices more than one century back which is alive even today as is strongly evident from the on-going such practices followed in Independent India and extended to house property and/or agricultural land too. The word ‘Guthge’ is a commonly used slang for such word of mouth lease in the parts of Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka state.

What is Guthge? 

It is an agreement for one year, worked out between the entrepreneur and the owner of the agricultural land. The arrangement arrived comprises of the entrepreneur taking possession of the said agricultural land after verifying all the possibilities for its sustained fertility and through its proper upkeep either by self or through employed labour enjoy the monetary benefits via. appropriate disposal of the agricultural output thus obtained from the agricultural land to the market either in defined time intervals for the one year period i.e. either monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, etc. as deemed to be correct or directly at the end of one year but on a down payment made to the owner through much deliberations and bargaining at the very beginning of the agreement i.e. prior to availing the, to be or would be accrued monetary benefits. This means that the entrepreneur stands to lose heavily if his business plans go awry and/or on account of unpredictable climatic conditions. The latter becoming more prominent world over and this also being the main reason in addition to the growing nuisance of agriculture borne diseases, lack of household support due to migration issues, lack of time management in the family, etc. that the owner’s agree to lease their land to such ‘Guthge’ takers. However, in case of a good harvest, the entrepreneur stands to gain considerably even after deducting the prior investments made. Being a word of mouth lease, a strong commitment and faith in each other from both the parties is expected towards only the upkeep of the agricultural land and the related activities thereof till the end of the year that ensures either an amicable termination of the same or renewal.

Benefits;

1.    Entrepreneur generates employment avenues to manage a large number of such lease undertakings via. organised labour, contracting ancillary/support units, etc.

2.  Entrepreneur through his intervention promotes green environment protection as otherwise the unmanaged agricultural land would cease to remain so even in title and be prone in the long run to uses for non – agricultural purpose.

3.  Entrepreneur may be encouraged to undertake parallel waste management ventures too as the said agricultural output are always of two types viz. the product and by – products (wastes).

4.  Entrepreneurs in urban areas and cities may seek opportunities in housing societies/offices that have such flower gardens, coconut plantations and other such possible to obtain agricultural outputs and reap the same benefits as in points 1., 2. & 3 above.  

That is all for today’s post. Hope it was informative as regards to such old customs that thrive on faith and understanding?

More about myself in the next post......................................