by Vandana Shiva
18th September was the day for solidarity with
victims of the September 11th terrorist attack
on the U.S.
I joined the millions to observe two minutes
silence at 10:30 a.m. for those who lost their
lives in the assault on the World Trade Centre
and the Pentagon.
But I also thought of the millions who are
victims of other terrorist actions and other
forms of violence. And I renewed my commitment
to resist violence in all its forms.
At 10:30 a.m. on 18th September, I was with
Laxmi, Raibari, Suranam in Jhodia Sahi village
in Kashipur district in Orissa. Laxmi's husband
Ghabi Jhodia was among the 20 tribals who have
recently died of starvation.
In the same village Subarna Jhodia had also
died. Later we met Singari in Bilamal village
who has lost her husband Sadha, elder son
Surat, younger son Paila and daughter- in-law
Sulami.
The deliberate denial of food to the hungry is
at the core of the World Bank Structural
Adjustment programmes. Dismantling the Public
Distribution System (PDS) was a World Bank
conditionality. It was justified on grounds of
reducing expenditure. But the food subsidy
budget has exploded from Rs. 2,800 crore in
1991 to Rs. 14,000 crore in 2001. More money is
being spent to store grain because the Bank
required that food subsidies be withdrawn. This
led to increase in food prices, lowering of
purchase from PDS and hence build up of
stocks. The food security of the nation is
collapsing.
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