In 38 years the total irrigated area rose by 10
per cent. The percentage of irrigated to the sown
area rose by 3 per cent.
DIMINISHING FOOD SUPPLY
The British officer at one time claimed to be the
Mabaap of the poor people of India. We have only to
look at the result of the Mabaap rule to see what it
has done. In 1911 the area sown per capita in British
India was 0.9. By 1941 it had declined to 0.72 acre,
by so much as 20 per cent. The decline has been in-
creasingly rapid. It has been .02 acre per capita be-
tween 1911 and 1921, 0.06 acre per capita between
1921-31, and 0.1 per capita between 1931-1941. We ar£
going down the incline.
Today we are faced with a terrible famine. Who
is responsible for it?
In 1800, on the authority of British experts, sur-
plus was available to the farmers and others as re-
serves of grain against draught. But a blind disregard
of the vital need for providing regular food supply
has characterised the British Government from the
beginning.
According to the Warren Hastings Report, the
famine of 1770 swept away at least one-third of the
inhabitants.
Period. No. of Famines. Estimated
mortality.
1775-1800 .. 3 ___
1800-1825 .. 5 One million
1825-1850 .. 2 Four lakhs.
1850-1900 .. 24 32 millions.
1942-43 .. Bengal Famine 3.5 million*
In 1878 the Famine Commission censored the Gov-
ernment of Bengal and the Revenue Board for failing
to take notice of the signs of famine in time. But the
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