Saorsa
10th May 2010, 01:32
Strike forces the poor to eat seeds saved for planting
TEK NARAYAN BHATTARAI
PALPA, May 9: Impoverished Kumal families of Ghorbanda, Palpa living on daily wages had to eat maize kept as seeds during the six-day Maoist general strike.
Around 150 Kumal households in Chirtungdhara-7, Ghorbanda depend on daily labor for living and walk around seven kilometers to district headquarters Tansen for work. Around 90 percent of labor force in Tansen is supplied by these Kumals.
They couldnt work for wages during the strike and had nothing to eat except for the seeds. With enough rainfall, the vegetable garden is now ready but the Kumals dont have maize to sow nor do they have money to buy seeds.
The five-member family of Tilak Kumal, 35, ate 10 bunches of maize during the strike. We made do with two cobs for a person every day, Tilak said. Tilaks wife Dilsara was preparing soup of maize while this scribe reached their house Sunday morning.
We roast maize to eat. And then soak it in water to soften and make dal. We also make rice out of it. Its everything we have to eat, Dilsara added. A little addition of tomato makes it very tasty, she tried to paint a rosier picture.
Suka Maya, 76, said she had to make gruel of maize as she couldnt chew the roasted ones. I spent the days by eating a cup of gruel in the morning and evening, she rued. She said she has not had a grain of rice or lentils for the past five days as her son and daughter-in-law could not go to work.
The Kumals, however, are happy that the strike has finally been called back and now hope to buy seeds by working. But they fear whether it would be too late to sow maize by the time they save enough to buy seeds.
Chandrakala, who is pursuing Bachelor of Education and is the most educated Kumal in the village, said there was shortage of food in the village during the six-day strike. Everybody lived on half-filled stomach. The shops wouldnt sell on credit while there was no work to do, she reasoned.
Neighboring village of Magars in Chirtungdhara-8 is currently busy sowing maize, but the Kumals are now trying their best to buy seeds on time. We have to sow even after a week. Because we wont have anything to eat during a possible strike next year if we dont sow now, Tilak said.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=18420
TEK NARAYAN BHATTARAI
PALPA, May 9: Impoverished Kumal families of Ghorbanda, Palpa living on daily wages had to eat maize kept as seeds during the six-day Maoist general strike.
Around 150 Kumal households in Chirtungdhara-7, Ghorbanda depend on daily labor for living and walk around seven kilometers to district headquarters Tansen for work. Around 90 percent of labor force in Tansen is supplied by these Kumals.
They couldnt work for wages during the strike and had nothing to eat except for the seeds. With enough rainfall, the vegetable garden is now ready but the Kumals dont have maize to sow nor do they have money to buy seeds.
The five-member family of Tilak Kumal, 35, ate 10 bunches of maize during the strike. We made do with two cobs for a person every day, Tilak said. Tilaks wife Dilsara was preparing soup of maize while this scribe reached their house Sunday morning.
We roast maize to eat. And then soak it in water to soften and make dal. We also make rice out of it. Its everything we have to eat, Dilsara added. A little addition of tomato makes it very tasty, she tried to paint a rosier picture.
Suka Maya, 76, said she had to make gruel of maize as she couldnt chew the roasted ones. I spent the days by eating a cup of gruel in the morning and evening, she rued. She said she has not had a grain of rice or lentils for the past five days as her son and daughter-in-law could not go to work.
The Kumals, however, are happy that the strike has finally been called back and now hope to buy seeds by working. But they fear whether it would be too late to sow maize by the time they save enough to buy seeds.
Chandrakala, who is pursuing Bachelor of Education and is the most educated Kumal in the village, said there was shortage of food in the village during the six-day strike. Everybody lived on half-filled stomach. The shops wouldnt sell on credit while there was no work to do, she reasoned.
Neighboring village of Magars in Chirtungdhara-8 is currently busy sowing maize, but the Kumals are now trying their best to buy seeds on time. We have to sow even after a week. Because we wont have anything to eat during a possible strike next year if we dont sow now, Tilak said.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=18420