34 HAPPY INDIA 



when their monsoons had failed, and that at the 

 first sign of approaching famine it was necessary 

 for the Central Government to come to their relief, 

 and supply them without charge with the necessary 

 food. He would also observe that the railways 

 and improved seaports had led to the export of 

 corn, which in previous times had been stored by 

 the thrifty peasant in anticipation of possible droughts. 

 He might say that it was a pity that even in the 

 years when the rainfall did not fail some of the 

 people had not enough to live upon, whilst in other 

 parts of India large supplies of corn were exported 

 to Great Britain. Thus one part of our Empire 

 might be starving and another part have a super- 

 abundance of food. There have been many famines 

 in India, but all the famines, though covering in 

 reality a very large area of territory, have been, 

 as compared to the whole of India, only local, and 

 there has always been a sufficiency of food in India 

 to supply all the people with what was necessary 

 for their health and subsistence. Starvation has 

 arisen firstly because of the poverty of the peasant 

 in the district where the rainfall had failed, so that 

 he could not afford to buy the necessary food ; 

 secondly, the difficulties of transport from the 

 district where there was a superfluity to the district 

 which was in need of outside supplies. This transport 

 difficulty has to a great extent been cured by our 

 railways, though no doubt further railways would 

 be a great advantage, and if it was not for the poverty 

 of the peasants preventing them from buying the 



