Michael Lipton: The big man of land reform
The British economist, who died on April 1st, championed land rights for the poor
IN THE district courthouse in Rangpur, crowds throng magistrates’ doorways in search of redress. Many grievances in this northern quarter of Bangladesh have to do with land. Almas, a peasant-farmer in his 60s, clutches contracts in a dispute dating back to the 1980s. He sold an inherited plot to a more powerful neighbour who, he says, never paid for it. Justice grinds slowly, especially if you cannot afford to sway corrupt judges. Worry-lines crease Almas’s face. Unable to afford other land, he is struggling.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “The big man of land reform”
From the April 22nd 2023 edition
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