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Jharkhand 'starvation' death: How Santoshi's village makes it to two meals a day -Prashant Pandey
-The Indian Express

Rice is not enough under PDS, but the only thing they can afford; potatoes are cheapest, but still costly; pulses, vegetables are out of the question; biscuits are a luxury; and Aadhaar is well-entrenched.

Her hair brushed back, a comb tucked in her bun, Gudiya (26) is at ease this Tuesday afternoon. People from the administration are hovering around her, while six policemen keep a vigil on visitors. Officials from Jaldega block in Jharkhand’s Simdega district, a Naxal-dominated area, have come to the house in Karimati village to help the family encash a cheque of Rs 50,000 given by the administration to Gudiya’s mother, Koyli Devi (45). They escort her to the bank located at Jaldega, where Koyli is told she can withdraw the money next week.

Breastfeeding the youngest of her children, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, half-an-hour later, Koyli talks of all she can buy with the money. Or could have bought for Santoshi. On September 28 night, her 11-year-old daughter died — Koyli says of starvation — seven months after the family stopped getting their rations as their Aadhaar wasn’t linked to PDS. Later, the family’s name was struck off the ration card list. Santoshi was the third child Koyli lost; the other two died of illness.

Apart from the Rs 50,000 cheque and the Rs 15,000-odd in aid given by visiting leaders, Santoshi’s death has brought the family 75 kg of rice from the government and other benefactors, 20 kg of potatoes, two litres of edible oil, adequate kerosene oil, 10 soap bars, some green vegetables and tomatoes. Koyli is planning to stock up on more vegetables and pulses at the Wednesday haat.

Then, once the cheque is encashed, Koyli will make other purchases. “Family members are saying I should get a mobile phone. Also, we need things for the house. We will buy a box (suitcase),” she says. The family, including Koyli, husband Tatya Naik, daughters Gudiya and Chando Kumari, and son Prakash, lives in a mud house, with mud-baked tiles for roof. The house comprises a large room, with a small area partitioned off as kitchen.

The rest of the money she would keep in the bank, Koyli says, as “saving” — a new luxury for her.

Earlier that day, Koyli indulged in another small “luxury”. When Chando, 8, asked for something to eat, she gave her Rs 10 to buy coconut biscuits. “She likes fancy things to eat and was crying,” Koyli says, with a faint smile.

Santoshi was never fussy about food, the 45-year-old adds. “She only kept asking for rice, but there was not a single grain at home.”

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