NEWS

2020.07.30

20th AJI Research Frontline Seminar on " Peasants and Activists in Contemporary Indonesia: Between Countermovement and Market Accommodation”

The 20th AJI Research Frontline Seminar was held on July 21, 2020 through online, and Dr. Iqra Anugrah (JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, CSEAS Kyoto University) presented a stimulating report entitled "Peasants and Activists in Contemporary Indonesia: Between Countermovement and Market Accommodation”. He discussed why and how organized peasant groups and activists have responded to the development of market relations focusing on peasant organizations in rural areas of Indonesia. This topic has significance today as we are seeing rural politics shaping the quality of governance and democracy in the modern world.

Dr. Iqra argued that various kinds of land reform can lead to people-led welfare and a democratization of class relations but advised that market accommodation might be more appealing to peasants under certain circumstances. He asserted that ideology shapes rural responses to agrarian change and that the agrarian question remains relevant for future studies and political discourses on democracy, development, and class relations. The presentation concluded with an enthusiastic discussion and some challenging questions from the floor. We are looking forward to the forthcoming publication Dr. Iqra’s book under the same title.

Dr. Iqra Anugrah giving his presentation