Samaw.com

The ‘famine related death’ news that had appeared in the largest circulated English newspaper in the country - The Times of India (TOI) has stunned people from Mizoram due to its inaccuracy and lack of proof thereof in the report.

Read below:

Kolkata, May 20, 2008 (ePaper): Mizoram is being stalked by ‘mautam’ again, with 29 youths dying from hunger and malnutrition in the state’s Saiha district in the past two months. And, with scarcity of food on the rise, the state is on the verge of a famine.

Bamboo deaths, known as ‘mautam’ in Mizoram, is a cyclic ecological phenomenon that occurs in the state every 50 years. After flowering, the bamboo plants die. Rodents feed on these seeds and their population increases exponentially during this periods.

They then invade paddy fields and granaries devouring staple crop and leave no food for human consumption. The last ‘mautam’ Mizoram witnessed was in 1954.

The US government has channelled money through NGOs to help the affected villagers. The state has tied up with Save the Children, an NGO, and has released Rs 20 lakh for affected families. Around 31% of Mizoram is bamboo forest area.

“We are targeting 6,000 families to begin with to stabilize the availability of food. We are also willing to work with local communities to plan long-term assistance,” said US consulgeneral Henry V Jardine.

According to the latest Census, Mizoram has a population of 8,88,573 and 1,76,134 families. Nearly 80.5% of these families have already been affected by ‘mautam’ and rat infestation. Of the eight affected districts, Lunglei, Mamit, Lawngtlai and Saiha have been hit hardest.

Source: TIMES NEWS NETWORK.

The above article appeared on print edition (ePaper) of Times of India, Kolkata edition on May 20, 2008. It can be found at PAGE 8 - the second article on the first column (extreme left column).

No newspapers in Mizoram have reported on the same story. According to Aizawl Post, Mizo daily from Mizoram capital city, the officials too have denied any deaths due to famine.

Some net users at Zawlbut.net have also speculated and commented that someone from Saiha (Siaha) must have given a wrong report to Times News Network. Such comments are very irresponsible; one should have avoided making hasty judgment at this juncture. No one should put a blame on anyone unless they have an authentic proof to back their claims.

According to Maraland.net, the website was wondering why some news agency reported that USAID granted $50,000 to Saiha district while others reported that the amount is given to the state not any particular district. Can the two stories be related? Is anyone making up stories to get this aid?

The website also wonders how such story appeared at Times of India Kolkata edition.