AGARTALA: At least three more starvation deaths were reported in the Atharmura hills. A number of local vermicular dailies reported that three landless jhumias (shifting cultivators), including a young couple, died of hunger at the remote Kerleng village in West District. While 21-yr-old Taidumanikaipen and his wife died of starvation, another youth of the same village Lalgaihua Kaipen died a couple of days later.
With this, eight Jnumia tribals have died of starvation in the state, Earlier, prominent tribal leader and ruling coalition partner, the Tripura Upjati Juba Samity (TUJS) organizing secretary. Sabda Kumar Jamatia, in a statement here said five people, including two children, died of starvation at Ramkrishnapur and Kakrachara villages, about 50 km from Agartala this month.
The Opposition Left Front had also been claiming that as many as 32 people lost their lives since the outbreak of a “near famine” situation in the tribal pockets about three months ago,
Meanwhile, the State Government had contradicted earlier reports of starvation death of an eight-yr-old child, stating that she died of malnutrition, and not starvation.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 15, 1991
