Unfortunately, media latches to buzz words like "lack of infrastructure" etc. Food scarcity is due to people being weaned away from their traditional mode of working. We are now living in an environmentally unsustainable way.

Traditionally, people used to grow their crops for consumption and the surplus used to be traded. Today, people are encouraged to grow cash crops everywhere. I have seen people misguided by NGOs and cultivating things like broccoli in the jungle. When the crop is ready, the fellow doesn't know how to sell it off.

The states that have higher forest areas should be compensated, so that they don't feel the need to encourage setting up of polluting industries.

It is sad to hear that locals have been crossing the border for contraband and wildlife trade and the Indian authorities are turning a blind eye to it.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi