Bhubaneswar: On October 30th, a tragic incident occurred when eight women of Mandipanka village of Kandhamal district consumed gruel made from mango kernels, resulting in severe illness. While being transported to the hospital by villagers, two women succumbed on the way. The remaining six were admitted to the Medical College in Berhampur, where two of them became critically ill and were subsequently transferred to SCB Medical College in Cuttack. Meanwhile, four of the women have since returned to their village after treatment.
On November 10, a two-member team from Ganatantrik Adhikar Surakhya Sangathan (GASS), Odisha, visited Mandipanka village in Gadapur panchayat under Daringbadi block in Kalahandi district and the neighboring Dama village. The team members met with the victims’ families, villagers, elected representatives, NGOs, and the Block Development Officer. Below are the brief observations of the GASS team.
The team met Prabhati Pattamajhi, Susana Pattamajhi, and Jibanti Pattamajhi, who had returned from Brahmapur after treatment. These three individuals, along with five others, have not received any payments under the Subhadra Scheme. They revealed that no one in the entire Mandipanka village has received any benefits from the Subhadra Scheme. Prabhati’s husband, Taran Pattamajhi, belongs to the Kandha community. Taran received only Rs 5,000 as the first installment of the Kalia Scheme, which was not received by the other seven families. He had worked in Kerala as a daily laborer and returned after hearing about the tragic incident. Jibanti’s husband also worked in Kerala but can no longer go due to old age. In this hamlet, no one has received a house under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme. Some families have cultivated paddy and maize on their non-irrigated land. Taran had taken a loan from a moneylender in Brahmani Gaon village at an interest rate of 36% per annum for maize cultivation.
The villagers informed the team that between August and December every year, their food grain supplies run out. To meet their food needs during this period, they collect and store mango kernels. They keep the kernels above firewood flames (chullah) to prevent spoilage from fungus. When the stock of rice and other grains depletes, they prepare the kernels for consumption. The hard outer part is crushed to collect the soft inner part, which is ground into a fine dust, wrapped in cloth, and soaked in water for 12 hours. The soaked kernel dust is then boiled and made into a gruel. When new paddy arrives in December, they discard any leftover kernels.
That day the wet kernel dust was full of fungus. The eight women of Mandipanka village consumed the contaminated kernel, believing that frying it would neutralize its harmful effects. However, they experienced severe nausea and vomiting after consumption. This is a public health issue. Notably, seven of the eight victims were between 25 and 35 years old. They could have started schooling in 2005 if they had the opportunity. These women, from nearby villages, were married into Mandipanka. It is unfortunate that none of them attended school, highlighting the widespread poverty in the area. The life of deceased Rooney Pattamajhi’s six-month-old daughter now hangs in deep uncertainty.
If consuming mango kernels were indeed part of the traditional diet of the tribal community, as claimed by the BJP government, the food prepared from it would be offered to tribal deities like Dharani Penu or during Kedu Puja (the main festival of the Kandhamal tribals), or even to Hindu gods. No tradition has survived long without a religious belief attached to it.
The state government officials argue that it is nutritious food. If so, why isn’t it included in the balanced diet or nutrition charts in schoolbooks, alongside rice, pulses, eggs, and greens? It is true that both tribal and Dalit communities collect mango kernels and discard any leftovers when new grain arrives. Does anyone throw away any other type of food surplus?
The team also visited the nearby village of Dama to better understand the situation. There, they met a family that still stores mango kernels. The family’s 18-year-old son works in Kerala. Out of the 27 families in that hamlet, seven have members working in Kerala.
Mandipanka village has about 300 houses, primarily inhabited by tribal and Dalit families. Village boys and girls start migrating to Kerala at the age of 14 or 15. Currently, around 300 children from the village are in Kerala. Previously, the villagers collected Siali leaves (Bauhinia vahlii) from the forest and sold them at reasonable prices through regional cooperatives. Due to the collusion of businessmen and politicians, the cooperatives have shut down, depriving the villagers of fair prices for Siali leaves and other forest products.
The 5 kg of rice per person provided under the Priority Households (PHH) scheme is insufficient. Additionally, the villagers were deprived of rice for three months (April, May, and June) due to the e-KYC update requirement. Sociologist Professor Jayati Ghosh opines that the central government’s intention behind the nationwide e-KYC update is to reduce the number of beneficiaries through various methods. If true, this would be disastrous. Various schemes like “Ujala,” “Mukta,” “Subhadra,” “Kalia,” “Mudra,” and “Bunda,” implemented by past and present governments for poverty alleviation, have failed to deliver tangible results, serving only to showcase the government’s concern for the people.
Development in the country has never been designed with the interests, needs, traditions, and participation of common people in mind. The exploitation of development systems by wealthy industrialists perpetuates poverty in countries they influence. It is disheartening that no organization or political party has taken up protests or initiatives to protect the rights of people in the Daringbadi-Brahminigaon region for a long time. If such efforts had been made, the outside world might have been more aware of their plight. Today, the outside world is becoming aware of the region’s plight following the tragic deaths of two women.
The GASS team firmly believes that the government is entirely responsible for the deaths caused by mango kernel consumption. The following urgent measures are recommended:
- All PHH households should be included in the Antyodaya scheme to ensure an adequate rice supply.
- Forest land should be allocated to needy families under the Forest Rights Act. Forests should be cultivated based on people’s needs so they can collect forest produce and sustain themselves. Regional cooperatives should be reactivated to provide fair prices for forest products.
- The MNREGS should guarantee 100 working days annually, especially between August and December. If the government cannot provide work, unemployment benefits should be paid as per the MNREGS Act. Officials or developers found possessing people’s labor cards should face criminal charges. MNREGS wages must be paid promptly.
- Establish more Anganwadi centers and primary schools in villages. Implement measures to prevent villagers from leaving the area for medical treatment.
Niharkanti Das and Deba Ranjan were members of the GASS team.
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