The above is the caption given to the editorial in the ‘Peoples democracy’, the official weekly of the CPI(M) in its issue dated 23-29 July 2012. The CPI(M) along with other Left parties like CPI, RSP and Forward Block has decided to organise dharna for 5 days from 30th July to 3rd August at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and many centres all over the country demanding supply of  35 kg of food grain at Rs.2 per kg every month. The Dharna has started and two days are over with massive participation. Top leaders of all the Left Parties along with many comrades are sitting on dharna daily. I used the opportunity to be part of this great struggle by participating in the dharna at Delhi.

It is more than 6 decades after India got Independence from British imperialism and declared itself as a Sovereign Republic. Many Five Year Plans have been implemented. Despite all these, about 80% of the people are still living from hands to mouth. Their daily expenditure is below Rs 3o – 20. This is as per the statistics of the government itself.

On the one side about 20% is in the upper strata that have all the benefits. On the other side is the 20% which do not have sufficient food even. These are the Two Indias which are before us.

According to the United Nation’s Global Hunger Index (GHI), India ranks 67 among 80 countries which suffer acute hunger of its people. 25% of hungry people of the world are in India. The condition of many so-called poverty countries in Africa etc. are above India in the GH Index. How shameful for this country! Not over, go through the shameful list given below:

One-third of the world’s children suffering from malnutrition are in India. 44% children in India are underweight. 72% are suffering from anaemia. 55% pregnant women are also suffering from anaemia. Every day thousands of children are dying due to various diseases and malnutrition. The list continues.

The main focus of the Government should be for supply of sufficient food grains. It is not that food grain is not available in the country. As on 1 June 2012, the government has a stock of 82.3 million tonnes, while the buffer stock required is only 50 million tonnes. In fact there is not even space to store them, resulting the food grains are put in the open and got damaged and destroyed.  Sometimes it is exported as fodder to animals. But even then the excess food grains are not supplied to the poor at a minimum price.

The newly elected President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, on his assumption of office declared that “there is no humiliation more abusive than hunger”. He also stated that the curse of poverty should be eliminated.

But the policy and practice by the Central Government only increases poverty and poor in the country. It is against this humiliation and denial of food to the poor that the left Parties are organising dharnas all over the country for 5 day from 30th July demanding that 35 kg food grain should be provided to every family at Rs. 2 per kg. to ensure food to the needy people.

The workers cannot sit idle. They should fully support this struggle in the interest of the people of this country.