Assam Citizens Staring at Starvation due to Shortage of Food Supply?

Axomson

The novel Corona Virus changed the way people all over the world perceive their lives. The lockdown that came as a preventive measure against the disease is serving as the only option practically available to us to escape this demon of a disease. While the mortality rate of CoViD-19 itself is not that high, the rate of infection through contagion is remarkable and that makes this lockdown and social distancing an absolute necessity. But to the financially weaker class, the daily wage earners and the farmers, this comes as an apocalyptic showdown. To this section of the society the third horseman to follow after war and pestilence is famine. The deadly virus has managed to kill so many in its wake but it is also taking its toll by snatching away people’s bread and means to feed themselves. Another concern is the shortage of supply of essential commodities that the citizenry needs to survive.

All over the country migrant workers and daily wage earners have talked their tales of woe as to choose between two forms of misery. The New York Times called this lockdown an order for the laborers to starve.

People are more scared of the police and starvation than the virus. Staying at home doesn’t work for the homeless. Wandering monks or sadhus who never went hungry as they found food in temples and Gurudwaras are now finding it hard to get a square meal owing to the places of worship being shut down. People who do have a shelter are faced with the condition where the disease will kill you if you go out and starvation will do it if you stay indoors. The rising concern is that the huge financial package announced by the government might not reach the informal workforce.

The effects of the lockdown in the food supply chain is clearly visible in Assam and the North East as well. In Rupahi Haat in north Nagaon of Assam, vegetable farms ready for harvest planted by farmers who raised money through debts and loans are wasting off in the field itself. Farmers are shedding tears due to the wastage of crops that took major investment of time, money and effort, before they were even plucked and also the lack of scope for sale due to fall in demand.

Due to such wastage, a possible shortage of vegetables in the forthcoming days should be taken into account. On the other end of the supply chain, city dwellers are calling out the hollow claims of the Government that food essentials will be easily available by pointing out that other than a few cabbages, nothing much is available in the market. Agriculture minister Atul Bora has mentioned that the state may lose 3571 metric ton of fruits and vegetable. He has cited the lower demand due to restaurants and dhabas being shut down as one of the causes behind this. He has also said that out of the 7 government cold storages only two are functional and are occupied by potato stock. But according to a 2017 answer in the parliament taken from the Press Information Bureau website, from 2009 to 2017, Assam had acquired 12 cold storage units with a total capacity of around 70,000 metric tons under the National Horticultural Board and Ministry of Food Processing Industry. Some of these units are cooperative units fixed to be run by the people. Like the one shown in the picture below in Silapathar, which is completely empty right now. The Government can no doubt make use of these storage units to stock on the vegetables and fruits that are facing rot and will no doubt be required in the forthcoming days.

The cooperative cold storage unit in Silapathar which is completely empty right now

Grocery shops are facing shortage of essentials. Shop owners claim that the primary items like rice and potato are available but other items of daily need like biscuits, suji, baby food are running out of stock. The owners allege the Government’s inability to streamline the supply chain and a supply and transportation bottle neck created consequently to be the main reason behind this. Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury claims this shortage to be the result of panic buying and hoarding by the consumers. In Tripura, workers in the tea estates are looking at starvation since around 4000 workers do not have access to ration even after continued assurances. Many are not eligible for PDS due to which they are dependent on the garden owners for rations. But in many gardens, like the Laxmi tea group, this has stopped after the lockdown.

The starvation due to lockdown has directly or indirectly claimed lives as well. In Agiya village of Assam’s Goalpara, daily wage earner and a father of three, Gopal Barman committed suicide by hanging from a tree after the family had nothing to eat for two days and he had a quarrel with his wife regarding the same.

Considering all this, it is quite evident that the country is looking at a severe shortage of food or even a depression as the lockdown progresses and the supply deficit increases. More than the shortage, people will be affected by the inefficient distribution system in place. According to certain reports, temporary relief camps for the migrants are to be set up in select locations. The same should be implemented in areas that can be treated as migrant hot spots. In urban areas, the administration can set up food distribution points for the homeless in specified public places like bus stops or schools where people in need may approach any time of the day. NGOs and other civil bodies maybe roped in for help regarding the same.

Financial support for the tea garden workers should be provided through wage security for a minimum of three months by consulting with tea garden owners and allied bodies. To ensure a secure supply chain, food security for the truckers can be established by opening monitored food outlets on the highway once the lockdown is relaxed. Door to door PDS must be ensured for the people below poverty line if the social distancing norms of the lockdown are to be kept intact. Steps are already being taken for this by including the SDRF funds but this must not remain only on paper. Integrity of the people involved in such distribution campaigns are of utmost importance. Inefficiencies are already being reported from Biswanath wherein a video from Balegaon has surfaced with villagers alleging that rations are provided to houses on the main road more than once but those in the interior villages have no access whatsoever. Similarly under Gorehagi panchayat in the same district, people have alleged that the thousand rupee grant to families without ration cards are being given to rich and well to do families whereas people working as drivers and helps in the same household have not received any such amount. In the meantime in a possible bid to ensure self-sufficiency, steps maybe taken at the community or even individual level to promote domestic vegetable growing skills and at the same time immediate steps need to be taken to reinforce the government stockpile.

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