If we think over what we import and what is being spoilt and thrown away at storage places, it will be realised that our wastage is greater than imports! Hence we must not import. We must reduce wastage.
If grain is sold freely, as in normal times, will a housewife allow a single grain to be spoiled? She ill look after it, clean it, store it very carefully, will again look after it at intervals and make such arrangements that not a single grain has t be thrown away on account of its being spoilt. If we compare this with the government policy and their arrangements for storing food grains, we fail to understand how the leaders at the helm of affairs and now governing us, coming as they do from the public, do not know the practice followed all over the country and how they do not follow the simple and practical procedure instead of carrying on as they are doing today. Why have our leaders kept themselves entangled in the net created for us for specific reasons by their predecessors, the British? How is it that things do not become clear to them? Why are they guided by the figures put before them by the officers which in some cases are neither complete nor accurate? ....
Harijan 23/11/1947
Bribery and corruption is admitted to be one of the worst enemies of efficient food administration. This is also one of the most difficult to defeat. The detailed implementation of the controls in mainly in the hands of provincial governments, and perhaps the new Ministries may be able to achieve results in this direction.
Harijan. 17/3/1946
Today, there is a lot of wastage in food going on in big cities like Bombay in the form of feasts and ceremonies. It is the sacred duty of every man, woman and child to conserve every grain of food and every drop of oil and ghee in this crisis. ..The foodstuffs thus saved can be distributed among the needy poor – not as alms but as remuneration for honest labour.
Harijan 3/3/1946
All flower gardens should be utilized for growing edibles. And in this connection , I would suggest the Viceroy, Governors and high officials to take the lead. I would ask the heads of agricultural departments at the Centre and provinces to flood the country with leaflets in the provincial languages telling laymen how and what to grow easily. All exports of seeds, such as oil seeds, oils, oil cakes, nuts etc should be stopped, if they have not been already. Oil cakes , if the seeds are sifted of earth and foreign matter, are good human food with rich protein content. Above all, black-marketing and dishonesty should disappear altogether and willing co-operation between all parties should be the order of the day in so far as this crisis is concerned.
Harijan 24/2/1946
If we think over what we import and what is being spolit and thrown away at storage places, it will be realised that our wastage is greater than imports! Hence we must not import. We must reduce wastage.
If grain is sold freely, as in normal times, will a housewife allow a single grain to be spoiled? She ill look after it, clean it, store it very carefully, will again look after it at intervals and make such arrangements that not a single grain has to be thrown away on account of its being spolit. If we compare this with the government policy and their arrangements for storing food grains, we fail to understand how the leaders at the helm of affairs and now governing us, coming as they do from the public, do not know the practice followed all over the country and how they do not follow the simple and practical procedure instead of carrying on as they are doing today. Why have our leaders kept themselves entangled in the net created for us for specific reasons by their predecessors, the British? How is it that things do not become clear to them? Why are they guided by the figures put before them by the officers which in some cases are neither complete nor accurate?
Harijan 23/11/1947
...Grain –dealers have to shed their greed and the habit of making as much profit as possible. They run the risk of being looted,if they do not gain the credit of being keeper(grain for the sake of the poor). They should be in touch with the people in their neighbourhood. Congressmen have to visit grain dealers within their beat and give the message of the time...
Harijan 25/1/1942
Q The policy of the Interim Government is to keep down the prices of food grains. Would it not adversely affect their production?
A. (Mahatma Gandhi): I want to reduce the prices of food grains still further. I claim to be a peasant myself and I know that only a fraction of the price paid by the consumer actually reaches the grower of food. It should be the business of the Interim Government to see that the tiller of the soil gets full value of his produce and that every pie paid by the consumer reaches the peasant’s pocket, or else the government should get out. It can never be guilty of wishing to provide cheap grains to the consumer at the expense of the grower of food. The trouble with the cultivator is not low prices but the middleman.
Even in Khadi production I set the target of 8As. A day for the spinners. We actually reach the rate of 4As inspite of the objection that dear Khadi would the ruin of Khadi production. That illustrated my attitude towards the producer. I would eliminate the middleman altogether. It is he who today sponges upon the agriculturist. Otherwise, there is no reason why the peasant should starve. At the same time a peasant who profiteers or exploits the black market belies his calling. He is no less an exploiter than the Zamindar.
Harijan 6/10/1946