Interview with Qiu Jiafa

Qiu Jiafa (b.1940) is a resident of Diaoyutai Village, Yindian Town, Suizhou City, Hubei Province. During the Great Famine, Qiu was in middle school and his teachers led students to find oak tree seed and bark, vitex leaves and Chinese scholar tree flowers for food. All members of the production team had to participate in building the reservoir and a meal provided by the People's Commune Canteen included only two liang of rice and boiled water grass. Qiu's father starved to death in 1959. Qiu believes that the Great Famine happened partly because the cadres much exaggerated the grain production to gain political achievements, and partly because the cadres stole some grain given by the government. Commune members of the production team dared not report because they were afraid of the vengency from the cadres.

邱家发（1940年生）是湖北省随州市殷店镇钓鱼台村村民。大饥荒时期邱老人在上中学, 因为饥饿学校老师组织学生们去山里打橡籽、挖橡树皮、黄荆树叶和槐树花吃。全生产队都参与修水库, 每顿饭在集体食堂吃的是二两米和煮水草。邱老人的父亲1959年被饿死。老人认为饥荒的原因一是干部为了自己的政绩向上虚报产量, 二是基层干部贪污皇粮之外的'义粮'。这些情况社员们不敢向上告发是因为害怕基层干部的打击报复。

Transcripts for this interview and more may be available under the ‘Documents’ link above. 采访抄录和相关内容，请点击查看上面的’Documents’链接。