Editorial

Abstract

The farmers’ protest has engaged nation-wide attention and has agitated discourses in several corridors of academic, political, business, law and governance systems. While the protest over farm bills signifies planned interventions of better communication through extension networks, it also provides a subject of socio-psychological analysis of farmers’ protest behvaiour.  The farmers have been the linchpins of agrarian prosperity. The socio-psychological studies have led to mapping of farmers’ adoption and rejection behaviors towards technological innovations.  However, there is a need of closer examination of protest psychology to understand the nature as well as determinants of participation in protest. Why people respond differently though being in similar situation is an subject of behavioural research? The literature highlights theories of relative deprivation, emotions, identity, and social embededness for socio-psychological explanation of the protest behavior. Extension researches on GM crops have shown association of social amplification of risks and farmers’ perception. Many a times there is lack of informed decision to join the pro- or anti-movement. There have been occasions where farmers initially protested Bt Cotton but later due to sharing of subjective evaluations by peer farmers, they became ardent supporters. Therefore, dialogues are essential to make way for transformations.

 

Special thanks are extended to Dr M.S.Nain and Dr Bhanu Mishra for their praiseworthy as well as painstaking efforts in editing the papers. I also extend sincere thanks to Dr. Himanshu De as well as other members of the editorial board for their kind help.

 

I extend my sincere thanks to all the authors for making valuable contributions.  

 

Special thanks are extended to the President, ISEE; Dr US Gautam for providing insightful thoughts and guidance in bring out this issue and broadening online sphere of the journal.

 

Dr Bhanu Mishra deserves special thanks for making committed efforts in compiling, publishing and ensuring timeliness in online availability of journals.

 

(Rabindra Nath Padaria)