By Moira Dynon B.Sc.
1966 Melbourne, Vic
Address to Trades Hall Council, Melbourne, as Chairman, Food for India, Thursday 30 June 1966.
Within one day’s flight from Australia, millions of people will go to bed tonight sick and hungry, and tomorrow they will still be sick and hungry. In India, nearly half the babies born die before they reach the age of 5 – not from neglect but from malnutrition. Here in Australia, we are 11 million people living in the shadow of the vast, hungry, sick continent of Asia. Behind the glamour of the tourist spots of Asia, behind the glamour of bright lights and ornate palaces living millions of hungry, sick people. Many suffer from that lack of energy which comes from generations of hunger and generations of malnutrition. A hungry man is a social liability. Because he can be counted in millions, he retards not only the economic development of his own country but also the prosperity of all mankind.
The average man in the underdeveloped country is concerned primarily with how he is to eat, to work and how he is to raise his family. He is engaged in a relentless struggle for mere existence. If he has land it is a tiny plot. From it he must provide for himself and his family. When he is lucky he can just about make it. But when the rain is late, or comes too soon, or the seed doesn’t germinate fully, or he is sick during the harvest he simply does not get by. The peasant in the underdeveloped country stands alone. The dangers to his precarious existence are so clear, so present and so far beyond his control that he knows of nothing to do except ward them off by whatever magic seems to work. When the magic fails, he may or may not survive. He cannot afford fertilizer, better seed or power machinery. He will pour his energy into his plot to get back from it barely enough food for himself and his family. For millions in the cities the situation is no better. Millions of the urban dwellers live in unutterable squalor. Many are born, live and die on the streets.
These are not new conditions. Poverty, hunger and disease are afflictions as old as man himself. But in our time there has been a change. Today man knows how to eliminate poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy. The real ferment that stirs the minds of men in much of the world today is the fact that they know they can have a better tomorrow. Today they know that the conditions, the poverty, the misery, the sickness, the hunger that their fathers accepted with resignation are no longer inevitable. People everywhere are as hungry for respect as they are hungry for food. Their demands are legitimate. For every reason, moral, business, political, we must be beside them in the long, slow difficult march forward. It takes no gift of foresight to realise that unless there is progress there will be discontent.
There is no simple answer to these problems. In the past there would have been no solution at all. But today, modern science and technology and its application give man a power over his world which can bring the prospect of success within the realm of hope.
Australia faces the challenge to do more to help the economically developing countries. This means more short-term aid for relief and long-term aid that would assist these countries in their development programmes including the grow-more-food projects. It is vital that Australia extend to the economically developing countries the kind of co-operation that will help to inspire hope, confidence and progress. The type of aid required is aid given for the right purpose to the right people for the right things, given with no improper strings and given in the spirit of friendship and understanding.
And especially we must help India. India is our partner and friend in the Commonwealth. Her population is greater than that of all the countries of South-East Asia combined. In its commitment to rapid democratic development, India is a tremendous asset to Australia. India’s survival as a stable democracy is vital to us.
Australia and India border the Indian Ocean. It is important to foster co-operation and understanding between our Governments and peoples – for Australia, as a more developed country, to assist a less developed country – for Australians to show sympathy and understanding for India at times of great distress.
But despite considerable scientific, industrial and agricultural progress, India has not yet reached self-sufficiency in food production.
The vast majority of the people are poor and live in gruelling poverty – their poverty surpasses the imagination of those who have not seen it at first hand. Poverty in India presents an explosive challenge.
But today, following the failure of crops consequent on the failure of the monsoon rains, India is in the grip of a severe famine – the worst for over 70 years. The average rainfall was, in fact, less than half the normal and in some areas there was practically none at all. Crops withered in the field. Instead of the expected harvest of ninety-three (93) million tons of food grains, the harvest was of the order of some seventy-five (75) tons.
What, in fact, is the Food Situation, in India, today?
Briefly
- Two bad seasons have now been followed by the worst drought this century;
- United Nations experts have indicated that 100,000,000 are seriously short of food;
- United Nations experts estimate the grains deficiency at 18 million tons, nearly twice Australia’s wheat harvest;
- The stark reality is that the survival of millions in India depends on aid from abroad.
Australians have been saddened to hear of children in India too weak to go to school, others who fainted at their desks from lack of food, looting of food grain, rioting and other violence, due simply to the fact that people have not enough to eat.
In the South of Kerala, the very meagre rice ration has been reduced to 4 ozs. per day. In the North from Bihar comes reports of people digging for roots and bulbs for food. From here also I have received letters telling of children being fed on leaves from the trees, to fill them.
In West Bengal too there have been serious riots, and in Calcutta recently we heard of the babe being abandoned and picked out of the garbage tin. From Orissa State has come reports of parents, filled with hopelessness, selling their starving children.
The Government of India has set up Special Camps under the Ministry of Rehabilitation to take care of the homeless and the destitute.
What is the Government of India doing?
She has had to ration food severely, and commandeer stocks from private sources.
India is giving the highest priority to agricultural development under the 4th 5-Year Plan and the one year Special Plan – importing fertilisers and better paddy seed. She is intensifying her crops in selected areas and developing irrigation.
However, lack of foreign currency, the need for long-term development, and the requirements of defence to protect her territorial integrity, have created tremendous difficulties in dealing with the greatly increased short-term need to feed the hungry.
What is being done in Australia? And What can You do?
At Commonwealth Government level, Australia has given some assistance in the long term under the Colombo Plan and Other Schemes, such as, for example, the Indus Basin project.
On 18th February this year our Minister for External Affairs announced a gift to India of $8,000,000 worth of grain, equipment, pesticides and powdered milk.
In addition, voluntary organisations and Church Groups throughout Australia have answered the call for help, each in their own way. Yet, despite all that has been done in Australia and in the world at large, millions of human beings in India, young and old, are hungry, and continue to suffer the effects of malnutrition.
The Question which I shall try to answer for you tonight is – What can we do?
To those who wish to help alleviate the sufferings caused by the current food shortages in India, I would suggest that you consider channelling your efforts through the MILK FOR INDIA scheme.
Milk for India Scheme
For millions of families in India today, one tin of processed milk for one day for one family is a supreme luxury. A donation of $7 will buy a 56 lb. bag of skimmed powdered milk. This form of aid – processed milk, – provides the urgently needed protein and other nutritive foods and minerals which is both a cure and a preventative for many of the ailments of the needy people of India. I refer, for example, to the symptoms of burning feet, ulceration and wasting, and to children going blind through malnutrition.
Information available to me at the highest level is that the most practicable and acceptable form of food that can be sent at citizen level is processed milk.
So far 448 tons of processed milk has gone to India under this Milk for India citizen scheme.
This processed milk, contributed by the citizens in Australia, is offered as a gift by the citizen donors to the Government of India in the spirit of understanding and goodwill, to be distributed free, at the government’s discretion, and in co-operation with our own High Commissioner in New Delhi, to those most in need, regardless of race, creed or caste.
This processed milk is received by the Ministry of Rehabilitation in India and is used principally in the Special centres and hospitals to help the homeless, the destitute, and the sick.
This milk is welcome. I have had cables from the Prime Minister of India and communications from responsible Indian Cabinet Ministers expressing deep appreciation to the Australian people for their generosity and kindness.
Medical reports from Indian and Australian sources indicate that the use of this powdered milk is for curative purposes and for the prevention of diseases accompanying malnutrition. The whole scheme is based on the principle of need. This short term, long term relief measure is supplementary to the aid given by the Government of India and by the United Nations Agency of U.N.I.C.E.F. As Mrs. Pandit said in Melbourne recently, “Milk is needed to build up our people, and we are very grateful for this beautiful gesture made by the Australian people.”
“FOOD FOR INDIA” is a voluntary citizen campaign. The Members of the Executive Committee and all others providing valuable assistance are giving their time and their services in an honorary capacity. We are deeply grateful to so many people and companies for all their very valuable assistance and co-operation.
We are grateful for the assistance and facilities provided by the Australian Commonwealth Government, which arranges and pays for shipment of the consignments of processed milk sent for distribution by the Government of India. Also we are grateful to the Victorian State Government, which has provided stamp duty exemption and is granting free rail freight on parcels of processed milk sent by rail and marked “Milk For India, Caulfield Railway Station”.
For millions of needy people in India affected by the present crisis, immediate food is vital. On the advice of the Australian High Commissioner in New Delhi, Sir Arthur Tange, and medical experts in India, both full cream and skimmed powdered milk, and smaller proportions of full cream evaporated milk are sent.
The warm hearted response by the Australian people to the call for help for India’s needy can only be described as magnificent. Contributions are still flowing into the Food for India, both gifts of tinned processed milk and money to purchase bulk packed powdered milk; 448 tons of processed milk have already been sent. In addition, a parallel appeal conducted by the Australian Council of Churches has resulted, so far, in over 200 tons being sent.
Duty free entry to India has been arranged and adequate provision made for reception at the Port and transportation within India. The movement for the grass roots in Australia to the needy in India is organised to the last detail, so that the processed milk arrives safely and is distributed to the needy as soon as possible. The consignments have all arrived safely and have, in fact, been distributed free to the needy.
Recently the Minister for Education in Tasmania, Mr. W. Neilson, returning from a conference abroad, visited India and went to one of the Rehabilitation Camps, about 100 miles from New Delhi, where some of this citizen gift powdered milk has been made available. He was deeply impressed by the need for the milk and the beneficial effects on the recipients. There was deep appreciation shown for those contributions of powdered milk which came from the Australian people.
Dr. E. E. Dunlop returned several weeks ago from a visit to India. He has stated publicly and has also personally advised me that (a) it was obvious to him that the Indian Authorities were taking very great care in the handling and distribution of these Australian citizen gift consignments of processed milk; and (b) that the milk was of great value in the treatment of the children and adults in the Relief Camps. Dr. Dunlop spoke with Indian Doctors who advised him that this milk has helped in the recovery of many patients in the camps suffering from malnutrition.
Assistance from Abroad
The Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant, His Holiness Pope Paul VI and the President of the U.S.A. have appealed to Mankind to make supplies of food available for the people of India.
Unlike the Colonial days, the world has heard about the suffering and hardship and has done something to help, both at Government and citizen levels. U.S.A., Canada, Great Britain, Japan, The Soviet Union, Countries of Eastern and Western Europe, and Australia have given assistance either by gifts of food, or loans, or both, or by entering into special trade agreements.
In the context of India’s foreign exchange position, it is true to say that food assistance from abroad has helped to avoid a national crisis and a world calamity.
But it is equally true to say that now and for some months to come, there will continue to be a special need for help for immediate food supplies for the needy in India. Almost daily I receive letters from various parts of India telling of hunger, suffering and hardship.
Should Australia help India?
This week we witnessed the announcement from the S.E.A.T.O. Conference of proposals for increased aid to certain countries of South East Asia.
But Australia must not lose sight of the importance of India. India is the key to the future of Asia. India is the world’s second largest nation and geography has placed our two countries bordering the Indian Ocean. There are more people in India than in the whole of South East Asia combined. If for no other reason than this, India is entitled to more consideration in Canberra than she has so far received. A friendly, strong, secure and independent India is vital to Australia.
But it is the conditions of suffering and hardship, such as exist in India today that produce revolutions of despair. For Australia it is fortunate that one third of the inhabitants of the developing world should live within India under a Government committed to development and economic progress in freedom. But do we in Australia take India’s democracy for granted? As Mr. Nehru so often said, “Results alone will retain democracy in Asia. – The test is in the flow of goods – how soon, how much.”
Only last Thursday (23rd June) in Hyderabad the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Gandhi, speaking of the prevailing difficult food situation, warned her people “not to get disheartened by the current difficulties and to face the future with courage”. She added “The coming 6 or 7 months are going to be extremely difficult and hard. All sections of the people will have to undergo considerable suffering.”
Whether India remains democratic and free will be decided by the people of India. But for every reason, humanitarian, business and political, it is vital that Australia extends to India in her present crisis, the type of co-operation that will help to inspire hope, confidence and progress. I believe that the Australian Government should make a strong and firm commitment of assistance to and economic co-operation with India.
At citizen level, we are inclined to think that all our efforts are only a drop in the ocean – but the ocean is composed of drops. By their warm hearted response to the call for Milk For India, the Australian people are not only giving valuable assistance to the recipients of the milk but, also, are promoting goodwill and understanding between the people of our two countries. By our citizen contributions of processed milk we let the people of India know that we stand firmly on their side in their struggle for their legitimate rights as human beings – the most basic of which, is the right to food, necessary for life itself.