DROUGHT AND RELIEF

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In 1965, 1966, 1967 India reeled under a terrible drought due to the failure of the monsoons. Gujarat was one of the badly affected states. The tribal belt was the one with poorest land (rocky and hilly) and the people being the most backward and primitive, hunger and starvation was the most pressing problem.
 
 It was then that the Indian Church launched out from Bharuch into the interior and took up social work - both relief as well as developmental efforts. It was done through the Bharuch Social Service Society which was run by them. The Government of Gujarat through the Panchayat and other Government Organizations provided a great deal of assistance towards this effort.
 
 

 

 

RELIEF
 

The Indian Church launched an effort into the tribal belt of South Gujarat during the year of drought to feed the hungry and the starving. The short - term "relief" Project consisted mainly in Food-for-Work. Instead of just doling out. oil, and other food stuffs, the villagers were asked to work on their own land leveling, weeding, making bunds and small canals. Approach roads were constructed and wells were dug for irrigation as well as drinking water purposes. Houses too were built or repaired and so were godowns (warehouses). By way of wages the Adivasis received a fixed amount of food stuffs per laborer.
 

This way of providing relief served three purposes

1. It made the Adivasis work for their livelihood instead of making them beg.

2. Since they worked on their own land of for the good of the village, the lands were improved thus ensuring better facilities for the future.
3. It made the farmers eager to work because of the double gain mentioned in (1) and (2)
    

Thanks to Catholic Relief Services, this 'food-for-work' project is still going on specially in the summer months, though on a much smaller scale. These are the months when the Adivasis, having exhausted their produce of the land, have nothing to eat and hardly any work.

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