Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Fighting off hunger, a reality at Athichapuram

By G. Srinivasan

Thanjavur Sept.3. Even as Tiruvarur district officials seek to dismiss reports of a `starvation' death, the people of Athichapuram are desperately trying to draw attention to their poverty.

Whether or not the death of Prakash, son of a labourer in the village, was due to starvation, there are several families in Athichapuram, in the Kottur Panchayat union, who are unable to feed themselves.

In the absence of any employment because of drought, large-sized families are trying to fight off hunger. And Prakash's family is one of them.

``Why should I lie on the death of my son? The entire village knows that he died of starvation,'' maintains Chandrasekaran, father. Apart from Prakash, he had four children. Renuka, Chandrasekaran's wife, is too weak to do any work he is the only breadwinner. He can do transplantation and harvest, but farm work is not available as cultivation has not been taken up for want of water.

What about relief works provided by Government to farm labourers? He went for desilting of a tank. Like him, 550 other villagers took up the work, which was completed in three days. But all of them said they received rice for only two days and not for the third day.

What about Rs. 26 given in cash, as part payment for the work? The money has not been paid so far though the work was completed one month ago, say the villagers.

As for rice supplied in the public distribution system, Chandrasekaran admits that he purchased 10 kg on his card. Twenty kg of rice for the card is given in two instalments every month. Chandrasekaran is eligible also for another 15 kg under a scheme for handicapped children. Chandrasekaran and the other villagers say this quantity of 20 kg of rice is inadequate for a month.

There are other villagers who cannot afford even to buy rice at the subsidised rates. The economic condition of the villagers has worsened. In the village, 10-15 families live in a very bad condition. Raja, a farm labourer with four children, lives in a hut, which has not been thatched properly. Papa and four of his sons and their families live in a small group house constructed by the Government.

The villagers also demand compensation to Chandrasekaran's family and distribution of rice and money to other families as relief. Things will worsen if samba cultivation is not taken up.

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