“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” - Global Coalition to Protect ...

only 10 health workers to attend to camp residents as well as people in surrounding
villages. 209
The Chhattisgarh government claims that “[f]ree rations are only being distributed to
Dornapal, Errabore, Konta-Injeram, Geedam-Kasoli, Mirtur, Cherpal, Gangalur,
Awapalli, Usur, Pharsegarh, and Bedre camps. In the remaining camps, free rations
are given only to old and disabled persons. For the remaining residents, employment
centres have been opened near the camps and they are being given daily
employment. The rice for the camps is being procured through the fair price
shops.” 210 It also states, “For those settled at the new sites, ration cards have been
issued by the concerned gram panchayat [elected village council] so that in future
they can buy rice, kerosene oil, sugar etc, at reasonable rates.” 211
Contrary to these government claims, Human Rights Watch found that in practice
there was no clear food distribution plan for most camps. Some camp residents
stated that the Chhattisgarh government initially provided free rations that have
either been reduced or discontinued altogether. 212 One resident of Injeram camp said,
“First, they used to give us lots, but now it is reduced. They used to give us rations
once every 15 days; now it is once every 30 days. It changed six months ago.” 213
Another resident of Jailbada camp said, “We have not gotten free rations here for
over a year. We buy our own rations from the market.” 214 People who do not receive
free rations or run out of rations are dependent on ration shops or the weekly market.
209 Human Rights Watch interview with N1 (name withheld), local activist, Dornapal camp, January 31, 2008.
210 District Collector, “Brief Memorandum [Dantewada (undivided)],” 2007.
211 Ibid.
212 Human Rights Watch interviews with camp residents from Jailbada, Jayanagar (Nayapara), and Jangla camps on December
13-14, 2007; group interview GR3 with former residents of Mirtur camp (who chose to remain anonymous), other details
withheld. Residents from these camps stated that they were no longer receiving free rations.
Human Rights Watch group interview GR7 with women camp residents (who chose to remain anonymous), Dornapal camp,
December 12, 2007. These women stated that even though they received free rations, the rations had been reduced over a
period of time, and that many of them were forced to purchase rations from shops at non-subsidized rates because they did
not have ration cards.
213 Human Rights Watch group interview with V3 and V4 (who chose to remain anonymous), camp residents, Injeram camp,
December 9, 2007.
214 Human Rights Watch interview with Madkam Dhairya (pseudonym), camp resident, Jailbada camp, December 13, 2007.
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