KARACHI: In an interview to the Orient Press, Sir Nizam-ud-Din, the Bengal Premier said: “Thanks to the rich Aman crop, untiring efforts of the Bengal Government and the philanthropic bodies, the scourge of famine is now off in the Bengal Province. I hope famine conditions will never repeat unless, God forbid, the crops fail.”

Asked about so many deaths in Calcutta and its suburbs, he said, “Of course, people are dying, but that is due to the effects of starvation, malaria and cholera which have broken out in an epidemic and most violent form. People are emaciated and weakened so they fall easy prey to disease. It will take long to bring conditions to normal. Relief, therefore, is needed now in the form of medicine and clothes. Though ... medicines worth many lakhs of rupees have been distributed, yet public cooperation in the matter is much needed.”

He paid tribute to the relief work organised by the public but remarked that 33 per cent of the Relief Committees were directly helped by the Government and that the budget session of the Bengal Assembly will disclose how much the Bengal Government worked and spent for the suffering people….

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2019