The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rice, chilli chutney is their daily dish

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Friday, May 30, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rice, chilli chutney is their daily dish

G.V.R. Subba Rao

Rise in prices of foodgrains, vegetables makes lives of Lambadas miserable

Repudi Thanda (Krishna district): The pace of increase in the prices of foodgrains is making life increasingly miserable for Lambada families of A. Konduru mandal in Krishna district. Consequently, , the residents of several tribal hamlets have started cutting down their expenditure on food, especially vegetables and pulses.

The families that cultivate pulses were lucky enough to enjoy dal now and then until some time back. But now, they have to give up curries and dal, and instead be content with a little rice taken either with garlic powder or pacchi pulusu (tamarind soup with onion) and chilli chutney.

Grinding a green chilli chutney for the day’s dish, 50-year-old Banavath Badli says that her family’s daily expenditure on vegetables has shot up to Rs. 30 from Rs. 15 a year ago. “How do you expect me to purchase vegetables if a single tomato costs Re.1,” she asks.

Daily wagers

Most of the Lambadas eke out a livelihood working as coolies. Three years ago, their daily wage used to be Rs. 25 to Rs. 30 for women and some Rs. 50 for men. A year ago, women earned Rs. 50 and the wages of men increased to Rs. 70. Now, women are paid Rs. 60 and men Rs. 80 a day. In any case, their daily wages do not cross more than Rs. 100 to Rs. 120 a day, which they get only during peak season when there is demand for agricultural labour. “This increase is no cushion for spiralling prices,” says Banavath Sakri, an agricultural worker, who now earns Rs.50 a day.

As the Lambadas have long replaced jowar roti with rice as staple food, it is now a difficult task for them to get rice for the entire family in view of the escalating prices, says Hoosain Banavath, recollecting his childhood days.

The Rs.2-a-kg rice scheme has not given them any comfort, as the quantity supplied through the public distribution system is not enough for the family for the entire month. “The ration is sufficient only for 10-12 days. For the remaining days, we’ve to buy rice in the open market for Rs. 14-a-kg,” explains Guguloth Chittemma, a resident of Kummari Kuntla, which is just half a km from here.

Prayers go up

However, there is one person who sincerely wishes better wages for the dwellers of this hamlet. Banavath Hunni, 30, who runs a small grocery kiosk in the thanda, say: “I pray god every day to show better employment to the villagers, as there is a drastic cut in their budget. I can get my square meal a day only if they get better wages,” she explains.

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