| caption: |
cultivation at Pedi; increased payment for impressed rice and chaukidar's wages refused |
| text: |
Marched miserably over Paona to Pedi in pouring rain. Nakama came in to ask for an increased rate of payment for impressed rice. I did not promise this as it means raising the rate everywhere, and I do not think the demands on Nakama are very heavy. The Pedi Chaukidar also asked that his pay should be increased, and this also I said I could not promise, as if done for one Chaukidar it must be done for all. The Pedi man says that Rs 8/- is not enough for him to buy rice with and that he is too far from his village to cultivate. I am not sure that the latter is quite true as I saw Nakama jhums close to Pedi I.B., but it may be true of Panikhet. In most cases Rs 8/- is plenty, as the Chaukidar only does Chaukidari as a bye. He has plenty of time, and I don't doubt but that I could easily get a Kuki from Pedi itself if the Nakama man cut his name. |
