ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 tells us about the increasing problem of food supplies and its impact on society. Rising inflation and shortages of basic essentials including rice, the staple diet of people from eastern India, soon began to overwhelm the government. For the general public, the question of food supplies began to eclipse the war news, leaving the provincial ministry in an unenviable position. The colonial government did attempt to salvage the situation but it was far too late. However, the food crisis in Assam is discussed not only from the regional perspective, but the ubiquitous crisis of food around the world and across the country, where we find many parallel features, such as the outbreak of murderous epidemics, famine or quasi-famine conditions, inflation, food shortages, hoarding, profiteering and clandestine exports. While a large number of people suffered, others stepped in to profit from the crisis, in particular the notorious food grain trade racket, which included members of the Assam Legislative Assembly.
