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Recently, the Supreme
Court directed the States and the Union territories to take steps to prevent
deaths due to starvation or malnutrition. The direction was a pursuant to a
report submitted by the commissioners appointed by the court in May this year to
ensure the implementation of various poverty alleviation and Food for Work
programmes meant for the poor and downtrodden.
Even then, famine and
starvation deaths have taken a heavy toll throughout India, whether it is in
Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand or in Orissa, A.P. or elsewhere, there is no
stoppage from starvation deaths. Last year when the people died in Orissa due to
hunger, findings of the Orissa Government showed that the deaths were due to
internal part of rotten mangoes consumed by the people. Likewise, some years
back when in Kalahandi a lot of people died of starvation the government ruled
it out and blamed the people for consuming poisonous roots. Same thing is
happening in Rajasthan, Bihar and A.P. where governments are spending a lot of
money on their attempts to pass off the deaths as due to malnutrition, improper
eating habits or stomach related diseases.
In the areas where
the revolutionary movement is going on for transformation of the system, the
scenario is quite different. Well, the starvation is there, but the deaths due
to starvation are nil. Following are some instances, which depict how the people
have been coping up with the problem of starvation posed by this exploitative
system.
During the month of
October and November the people in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh have
mobilised under the leadership of the Peoples War Party and conducted food raids
on the landlords and godowns of the state government. On 31 October, some 200
people including women carrying their traditional weapons raided Morjampadu
village of Machavaram mandal in Guntur. They came in two mini trolley and ten
tractors. They soon raided the 15 houses of the landlords and seized the paddy
stock and some bags of fertilizers kept in their godowns. People destroyed the
documents of usury and took possession of gold and ornaments kept in the lockers
of the usurers. In total, they managed to seize about 250 bags of paddy and took
these with them after loading in the trolleys and tractors they carried with
them.
People also seized
300 bags of rice from three fair price shops in Gangalakunta, Gottipalla and
Morasapenta villages of Veldurthy Mandal and distributed the same among the
villagers.
People in the drought
affected pockets of Bastar mobilised under the leadership of People’s War Party
and conducted similar raids. In the early hours of 30th November, hundreds of
the Gothikoya tribal peoples gathered and conducted the raid, they went to the
Ryothuvari Kothagudem village and raided the houses of landlords and seized the
paddy.
The people also blew
up a rice mill and the house of a landlord, Yerrapureddy Jayarami Reddy, in
Vantillu hamlet of Peddiinenikalva village in Tsundupalle Mandal.
After these incidents
the administration came into swift action and started massive combing operation
in the forest belts. And as usual, they started harassing the innocent
villagers. Beating and arresting of the people is continuing. People are ready
to face the repression, since they don’t have any other alternative, otherwise
they will have to die of starvation.
The state termed
these famine raids as Loot and did its utmost to contain these types of revolts.
New police posts have been set-up in the targeted villages and the number of
policemen has been increased in police stations to curb people’s revolutionary
initiative.
On the other hand all
the state and central governments are neck deep in the flood of scams. Some one
is charged with the fodder scam, other is facing trail in urea and fertilizer
import case, one is involved in sugar import scam and still another is named in
defence deal. But they are being given clean chits to loot the masses. They are
the looters who are legalized by the system.
Recently a dump of
rice has come to light in Andhra Pradesh. In the Kandukur Mandal a defunct
poultry farm near Rachaloor village on Srisailam road was raided by a team
headed by Joint Collector and seized 527 quintals of rice meant for the Food for
Work programme. First time the villager brought the matter to the notice of the
local police but the police refused to register the case. Later the villagers
approached the Joint Collector and the local Congress leader and explained to
them. Then only the matter came into focus. In this whole episode all the
powerful men, from fair price shop owner to the Sarpanch were involved. This
rice has been supplied by the Centre under the Food for Work Programme.
Political parties are throwing mud on each other and blaming that they were
involved in this racket. But for the state this does not amount to loot. No
arresting, no harassment, nothing has so far been done against the culprits.
People in the areas
of revolutionary movement have shown the way to the people living in other parts
of the country and reeling under the shadow of starvation deaths, that the
people don’t have to migrate to other places in search of food but they have to
unite and attack the oppressors and snatch away the grain which is, in fact, the
fruit of working people’s labour. This consciousness is being imparted into the
people by the revolutionary party, which is striving to unite them to fight for
their own rights with a broader perspective to transform the whole system.
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