About a 1000 people from 20 panchayats came to Varanasi in carts, in tractors and in trucks � to publicly present their stories to the Food Commission set up by the Supreme Court and demand justice. They were stories of pain, of deception, of a callous corrupt oppressive system. But this was also a story of democracy.

Following starvation deaths and the collapse of the Public Distribution System with rampant corruption, the Supreme Court had nominated two commissioners to monitor distribution of food in Uttar Pradesh.

Public hearings have been organized by the commissioners in various blocks of UP so that village communities have an opportunity to share their experiences and present problems they face to a jury of civic society members.

In mid March, 2006, I was fortunate to attend one such public hearing which was organized in Varanasi with the help of Lok Samiti and Lillyben, a nun and a social rights activist from Sarnath. The jury included the food commissioner Arundhati Dhuru, economist Jean Dreze, Allahabad High Court Advocate Sheba ben, Dr. Sandeep Pandey, Prof. Dilip Mullick, Nity bhai, and the district officer for supplies, among others.

The organizers provided a summary of survey conducted in these panchayats including:
1. 77% of ration stores charged excess prices
2. Commodities were being entered in account books without being given to people
3. Grain given was not edible
4. Ration cards were being canceled arbitrarily
5. In winters, when kerosene is in high demand, ration stores stop giving kerosene

The survey also spoke with store owners whose complaints included
1. Warehouses gave them less quantity than they entered
2. They had to give bribes to bureaucrats to get commodities
3. Had to pay partially for logistics from their own pockets

In the presence of the district officer for supplies and the members of the hearing committee, individuals from these villages presented their stories. It was easy to feel anger at the injustice, at the dehumanization of people.

One middle-aged man spoke of the ration store owner giving 2 liters of kerosene for the entire winter and jeering when he pleaded for more � for what was his by right. When the man complained, his home was burnt. The police was unwilling to take action against the criminals.

Another woman said that even though she had a BPL (Below Poverty Line) card, the ration store would not give her what was due. And the grains she did get were inedible � they were rotten.

The District Supplies Officer countered that he knew that everyone with a BPL card was given food. At this a long line of men and women came up with their cards. These cards were either empty or had clearly fake entries where sometimes even dates did not match. At this, the DSO made a long speech saying that he had just joined this department and that he will do all that he can to ensure that people get what is due to them. He offered to give out his mobile number and that people could contact him and he would do what was necessary.

The extent of corruption was disappointing. Even more saddening was the caste dimension. Yadavs today form the dominant caste in large rural parts of Eastern UP. They control the panchayats and inevitably the ration store. Often, the ration store in charge is a relative of the sarpanch. The mechanism works well to control the village. Those who vote for the sarpanch get slightly better treatment from the ration store in charge. On the other hand, the ration store in charge � which is a democratic appointment � is usually with the sarpanch.

The state of the dalits in this situation is appalling. They have no voice and no way to redress the injustice. Even the Schedule Castes commission which is supposed to redress caste based injustices is unwilling to act. The police is often unwilling to file FIRs against the panchayats. With 2 liters of kerosene it is impossible to last through winter. Instead of 20 kgs of rice that is their right, they are given 6kgs, sometimes less. Sugar is almost never given � even if it is available.

Often the ration store does not give ration to dalit communities the first few days after they receive their goods. They are just intimidated and turned away.

The panchayat even controls how many BPL cards are given out. The below poverty line card is supposed to be given to all families below the poverty line. However, the block officers arbitrarily set a number for a panchayat and then the panchayat often decides who gets them. As various people also pointed out, these cards are also often arbitrarily canceled or confiscated.

There is nothing as humbling or nothing that provokes anger as an old woman pleading for help � for any kind of help � so that she can get what is hers by law. It makes ones heart cry. There were just too many such stories.

The public hearing will make a record of these stories and present it to the Supreme Court. Maybe the powers that be may get the local administration to act for a couple of months. Maybe a couple of officers will be transferred. Beyond that�

And yet, the public hearing was empowering. It was empowering for people who are beaten up and whose houses are burnt for even raising this issue, to come and present their stories. It was empowering for them to connect with others who were similarly affected. It was empowering for them to declare that they were willing to come to the streets if nothing happened soon � they did not have a choice. For that is where the hopes of the Indian democracy continues to live. Not in Kalam�s speeches, in Manmohan Singh�s policies or in Narayanmurthy�s dollars.

It was empowering for a nation. For a democracy. One that lives and breathes, not in the elite colonies of Bangalore or Delhi but in the heart of the nation.

Sanat Mohanty

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