Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/514

 496 J'. O. COYAJEE the opportunity which co-operation of helping on the political development of India In the Reforms the ryot have been pEasized and great bopes as regards the results Report deservedly, and have been now has before it interes of eloquently era- justly expressed the political education. of his political But it is observed that the agricultural class is poorly equipped for politics and does not at present wish t take part in them. The agriculturist has sat on panchayets; authority, he has signed joint petitions to but he has never exercised a vote cas official questions. His mind has been made up or his priest or But, perhaps, this on public for him by his landlord or banker his relative or the nearest ot9cial. description, highly sympathetic though it is, overlooks the capacity of the co-operative system in Organizisg and guiding the political opinion of the ryot. The activities of co-operation are not limited t "advancing him money in bad days and waiting till he is in a.position to repay it". With the organization of co-operation ramifying into the mallest village and binding together the co- operative interests of districts and various' grades of federation, i might the agriculturist will prove a very capable student of representative institutions and organizing might be superior to that those provinces ino be found that his power of of any other latent repre- It is for the legislator to bring out the of such an apt pupil by giving his proper political work tn do. The class. capacity sentatives goes on to say, "when the local bodies are developed some of his class will have a vote on local questions. He will thus begin to discover that if. there is no school near his village, or road tn take him to the marke, the righ way to procure these benefits is not as heretofore by askin8 the Collector for them but by voing for the local board member who is most likely