Includes bibliographical references and index.

Do people starve in democratic politics? It is often claimed that since government must respond to public needs during times of crisis, democracy has reduced famine in India since independence. This book seeks to identify the processes which generate and perpetuate hunger in India, and what sort of interventions by public and private agencies are best suited to combat this problem. Drawing on fieldwork in the much publicized Kalahandi district, Bob Currie explains why problems of poverty and alleged starvation remain despite regular elections and extensive regional and national publicity.