2007 West Bengal food riots

Riots in India The 2007 West Bengal food riots took place in West Bengal, India over shortage of food and widespread corruption in the public distribution system. The riots first happened in Burdwan, Bankura, and Birbhum districts but later spread to other districts. The riots started on 16 September 2007 in Radhamohanpur village in Bankura district. Three villagers were shot dead and more than 300 villagers were injured in riots. At least three ration distributors committed suicide. The State Government suspended 113 dealers and served show cause notices to 37 food inspectors. A Supreme Court of India appointed committee has found wide-spread corruption to be the root cause of the riots. Causes India had a public distribution system that was used to distribute food grains to poor people at affordable prices fixed by the government. These food grains are distributed through Ration Shops, to card-holders. Many of these ration shop dealers were also Rice Mill owners, able to control the entire chain of supply. In 2007-08 a worldwide phenomenon of increasing food prices motivated some of the dealers to sell quality food grains in open market while inferior quality grain was distributed through the ration shops. At the same time, a move by the state government to exclude some of the families above poverty line from the PDS system. Faced with increasing food prices, this led to increasing discontent among the masses.https://books.google.com/books?id=6YkszNkcBAsC&q=report+on+2007+west+bengal+riots+supreme+court&pg=PA145 Democracy and Famine Rubin Olivier 2012-12-06 Routledge 9781136865411 en In many places, the houses of local PDS dealers were set on fire and looted in many instances. The threat of violence and public humiliation also led to a few PDS dealers committing suicide.Roy Rajat 2008 Endemic Hunger in West Bengal https://www.jstor.org/stable/40277659 Economic and Political Weekly 43 18 21–25 0012-9976 The riots originated from Bankura district in the latter half of the year, soon spreading across many other districts in the state.http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Food%20Riots%20and%20Food%20Rights%20-%20IndiaReport.pdf The Moral and Political Economy of Food in India 2017-10-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20171014233817/http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Food%20Riots%20and%20Food%20Rights%20-%20IndiaReport.pdf dead A report by the commission appointed by the Supreme Court of India found that wide spread corruption and diversion of superior quality food grains caused the riots.2007-12-21 Panel blames corrupt PDS for Bengal food riots https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/panel-blames-corrupt-pds-for-bengal-food-riots/articleshow/2639176.cms 2026-02-28 The Times of India 0971-8257 The report said studies conducted by the government had shown that 34.9% of rice and 86.6% of wheat meant for PDS got diverted, while 83% of wheat meant for below poverty line people and 60% of rice (the essential diet of the poorest of the BPL families) also got stolen. See also List of food riots India Society Food References Panel blames corrupt PDS for Bengal food riots December 21, 2007 Sethi, Nitin The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Panel_blames_corrupt_PDS_for_kakus_food_riots/rssarticleshow/2639176.cms Grain of Truth - Only industrialization can solve Bengal's food problems Srkar, Abhuirup October 25, 2007 The Telegraph http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071025/asp/opinion/story_8468453.asp https://archive.today/20130203121851/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071025/asp/opinion/story_8468453.asp dead February 3, 2013 Food riots expose how corruption hurts India's poor Majumdar, Bappa October 12, 2007 Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP318536 https://web.archive.org/web/20081013082930/http://www.centralchronicle.com/20071205/0512303.htm http://www.samachaar.in/West_Bengal/Food_riots_continue_in_south_Bengal_5670/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220901044750/http://www.samachaar.in/West_Bengal/Food_riots_continue_in_south_Bengal_5670/ 2022-09-01 Category:Food riots Category:2007 in India Food riots, 2007 Category:2007 riots Category:Economic history of India Food riots, 2007 Category:September 2007 in India