Under the red146;s carpet

Politicians, with full meals inside of them, often think nothing of characterising the 8220;starvation food8221; of famished communities as absolutely normal sources of nutrition. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik once famously described the toxic mango kernels 8212; that the tribals of Bolangir were forced to subsist on because of the unavailability of foodgrain 8212; as 8220;traditional8221; tribal fare. Now, with the CPM government in West Bengal coming under a barrage of criticism over its inept handling of starvation deaths in the state8217;s tribal belt to the west, tribal minister, Sambhu Mandi, observes that Adivasis would not die of hunger and starvation 8212; as long as there were trees and leaves in the area.

What does the statement convey? That the Buddhadev Bhattacharjee government does not want to be held accountable for the sudden food fetishes of its tribal population? That tribals should be satisfied with subsisting on leaves 8212; or an occasional toad, rat or snake? That Adivasis have a physical constitution quite separate from the rest of us? Come on, Comrades, display some of that social consciousness that is bandied about so much in official speeches and articles in party organs. The Express has been following the hunger trail in West Bengal and reports thus far speak of an administrative lethargy that would put North Korea to shame.

Why this should be the case when the chief minister, himself, has been fairly forthright in acknowledging the 8220;situation of starvation8221;, is curious. Given the alarm bells ringing loudly in their ears, state administrators and politicians should have rushed succour in material terms on an urgent basis. If NGOs can get there with medicines, foodgrain, and expertise to dig wells, and so on, why cannot the government do so? In any case, the very fact that it did not pick up the signs of mass distress is telling. Last year, the tragic deaths of infants in state-run hospitals signalled the poor state of healthcare in the state. The current crisis speaks of something even more worrisome: a government that is out of touch with its people.