Phungyar sub-division stares at grim prospect of famine, starvation
Source: The Sangai Express

Phungyar (Ukhrul), June 07 2009: Following massive crop failure last season, almost all the villages in Phungyar sub-division are reeling under a famine like situation.

The villagers have been hit so hard that they are unable to send their children to school.

With each of these villages facing severe food crisis, the villagers have been helping each other, sharing whatever food grains they have.

The woeful condition of the villagers was discovered during a two-day visit to these villages by a team comprising of Tangkhul Youth Council members, ICHAM members and media persons.

Villagers show their fast depleting food stock and a barren field with nothing to offer

The team visited Kumram, Patbung, Nongman, Sorbung, Sorde, Sorathen, Alang and Phungyar villages on June 5 and 6 to take a first hand account of the prevailing condition there.

In each of these villages, more than 20 children on average were found pulled out from schools as their parents could not pay admission and monthly fees.

Rather, the young children were being asked to help their parents.

One Rawonla Sareo (45) of Nongman village said that with the household granary lying empty following crop failure last season, she could not pay any attention towards education of her four children as she has to struggle day and night to earn a square meal a day.

Whatever little money earned from selling banana and mango at Phungyar after taking these produces all the way from Nongman village on foot was used in procuring rice.

As such, she could not spare any money to pay admission and monthly fees of her two children studying at Phungyar Rising School.

Highlighting the precarious condition of the family, the Headmaster has been told that the fees would be paid once NREGS wages are received, Rawonla Sareo said.

The eldest son who have passed class XII exam has been asked to give up further academic pursuit while the second son has been shifted from a private school to a Government school located in the village.

"We are really miserable.

We don't have any rice stock.

The situation will aggravated once the rainy season sets in", the woman cried out while conveying that the misery would have been far more acute if there were no NREGS.

A functionary of the Sorbung Christian Academy said that around 20 students studying in his school have not paid their admission fees yet while many other students are yet to clear overdue monthly fees.

One SP Joy of Nongman decried that political leaders remember their villages only at the time of elections.

"But when the villagers have fallen into a severe crisis, nobody cares to make any enquiry", he fumed.

Many of the villagers have been subsisting on boiled taros, Joy disclosed.

The villagers not only gave detailed accounts of their plight to the visiting team but also showed their empty granary and empty rice pots/tins.

Kumram village secretary N Soringam lamented that all their efforts to take some assistance/compensation from the Government went in vain even though the Deputy Commissioner and Relief Commissioner have been repeatedly approached.

Kumram village has rice stock of just about 15 days.

This stock was bought by the wages received for NREGS works, he said.

Although the rice they bought was a ration item, it costs Rs 22 per kg.

The village secretary also fervently appealed to the Government for some assistance before the wet seasons begins.

Seedlings have started germinating this season but the villagers are worried the seedlings may wither in the absence of water/rainfall.

"Under such conditions, we cannot imagine our fate had there been no NREGS", Soringam said.

Villagers of Patbung, Nongman, Phungyar, Sorbung, Sorde, Sorathel and Alang also narrated similar tale of woes to the visiting team.

They conveyed that PDS system was implemented in their villages just for name sake.

They get PDS items once/twice in a year.

The quantity was also quite reduced.

Each household got only 5 kgs of rice and 5 litres of kerosene.

But what is more shocking is that UGs deduct 7 percent in addition to another 25 percent by officials from the wages entitled to the villagers under NREGS.

In some villages, almost 50 percent of the wages have been deducted.

Out of Rs 1.50 lakh sanctioned for 35 extra working days in Sorathel village, two individuals have swindled Rs 70,000 as 'processing charge'.

Of the remaining amount, one UG group took away 7 percent just as the SDO took away some amount which meant that only Rs 50,000 reached the rightful beneficiaries, disclosed Sorathel headman Zipomi Keishing.

Tangkhul Youth Council president Zameyo Verm decried that the State Government has failed to take up any remedial measures despite repeated appeals and reminders.

Observing that the villagers have been reeling under a famine like situation, Zameyo urged upon the Government to take up relief measures immediately.