A Grain Of Truth

Among the stories was that of Doma Sabar and his wife Sambari, of village Sankuda. Then married for 12 years, Sambari had given birth to nine children, five of whom had died of disease and malnutrition. Of the four surviving children, two boys, Somnath and Hadiya, had been sold to farm-owners in nearby Andhra Pradesh for Rs 700. Doma was getting Rs 100 annually for the one-acre patch of rocky land he owned and had leased out for 10 years. Survival was impossible so he borrowed Rs 500, and when the money ran out, he borrowed again. For food. Watery soup containing some ragi (millet), jowar seeds. On a lucky day, the family could even have it twice.

Last week, we went back to Sankuda to find out how Doma was doing. The local Congress ward member and panchayat leader, Shyam Sabar, was the first to break the news, "Doma? Of course we knew him. He died over a year ago. Doma was suffering from TB which made him him weak. He later contracted malaria, the high fever and blood vomiting hastened his end," said Shyam. And what happened to Sambari and the children? "They’re not in these parts anymore," revealed the villagers.

"It is a pity this happened," says Vijay Panigrahi, who works for a local ngo, Gram Vikas. Over the last few months, Panigrahi has been working for the welfare of the tribal population, helping them secure better healthcare, education, vocational training and economic assistance. "If only the couple had held out a little longer, help would’ve come their way." In comparison, 55-year-old Rupiya Bhyua of village Bursunda has fared better. Five years ago, Rupiya, his 12-year-old daughter Sunari and 14-year-old son Jagannath lived on a small patch of land. Made do with tree bark and mango seeds, eating only once a day when the going got tough. Today, Rupiya grows some cash crops on his bogodo (patch used for shifting cultivation). Clad in a loin cloth and with a small rag on his shoulder, he is still undernourished and looks uneasy in the company of urban visitors.

During the last five years, Rupiya’s life has improved. Except that his daughter Sunari is dead. "She developed a strange skin disease. We gave her several transfusions, and tried to shift her to other places, but nothing worked," we are told. On the better side, Jagannath got married and now helps his father. The family now has a new 15’12’ thatched hut. Rupiya’s face lights up at the mention of photographs and he hastens to find his old photo published in this magazine, opening up a small tin box that clearly is the family safe. These may be better days, but he still does not get to eat rice very frequently. He also has some local debts to settle.

The countryside in Bursunda and Sakunda is hauntingly beautiful. The high, densely wooded hills look majestic and one has to wade through gurgling springs on mountain tracks or climb up steep hillsides to move through this lush countryside. Amidst this rich landscape, where nature has a nourishing aspect, why are the people so lean and underfed? What has gone wrong? The country’s poorest want some answers.

The Last Indian