INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

180 A PE 11' GENERAL CRITICIS]'[S.
with caution, if it is not .even found necessary to
argue against the chances, in order that moral
courage may be sustained and panic allayed.
Before proceeding further, it is essential to
arrive at some understanding about the meaning
of the word "famine." I despair of being
able to give a definition which will be satisfactory
to all. It is of no use to refer to Johnson's
Dictionary in an instance of this kind. I can,
however, at least give some of the meanings
which have been applied to it. The Orissa
Famine Commissioners say: "The Board of
Revenue . . . appear, in fact, to desire to
restrict the word to the case where there is not
food to be had for money, as distinguished from
. suffering. from dearness and want of means to
buy. . . . We will use the word famine in
its ordinary and popular acceptation of suffering
from hunger on the part of large classes of the
population." Mr Girdlestone in his report on
past famines says: "It is difficult, of course, to
draw the line and say when the direst effects of
drought cease, or to decide what extent of distress
merits the appellation of famine. .
For to all intents and purposes, want, though