5. Fomenting Famines and Humanitarian Disasters
The East India Company’s policies significantly exacerbated famines in India, notably the Great Bengal Famine of 1770. The Company imposed heavy land taxes, increasing rates from 10% to 50% of agricultural produce, even during droughts. Additionally, the Company prohibited the storage of rice, preventing farmers from stockpiling food for lean periods. These actions led to widespread starvation, with an estimated one-third of Bengal’s population perishing. Such negligence mirrors modern corporate policies that prioritize profits over human welfare, resulting in humanitarian crises (act1219.org).
