Tuesday, April 02, 2019

The great Bengal famine debate continues

Recent study of soil moisture in Bengal indicated that there were reasonable food stocks before the 1943 famine. But studies by others used by Madhusree Mukherjee indicate that there was fungus infection which probably caused depletion of food. Sen claimed the report of the infection was only from two stations. Others contend that the stations were 150 km apart which indicated a widespread infection. But both sides seem to blame the British policies for the disaster. Amartya Sen says in his response to Madhusree Mukherjee, he says “... and in her single-minded, if understandable, attempt to nail down Churchill, she ends up absolving British imperial policy of confusion and callousness, which had disastrous consequences.” This and Some of the links to the discussion Amartya Sen, Churchill and Two Rice Research Stations in Bengal

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