INDIA: Five children of Mawasi tribe currently suffering from malnutrition in the village where seven children died of malnutrition in 2008-09 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed from the villagers that the administration neglects the fact that the children in Kirahaipukhri village belonging to Mawasi tribe have been starving since 2008. The village currently has five malnourished children whereas seven children reportedly died of malnutrition in 2008. Despite several recommendations of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) since 2009, the administration has not yet taken any substantial action to prevent child malnutrition and guarantee child health care in the village. The district administration rather got an award as a good practice of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) where the AHRC discovered human rights violations such as underpayment and delay of payment as well as corruption.

 

CASE NARRATIVE (according to the field visit and interview): 

Dying malnourished children since 2008

 

In Kirahaipukhri village, Singhpur Panchayat, Majhgawan Block, Satna District, five children – Pramod, Reena (three years old), Ramdare (four years old), Mandakni (four years old), and Chrishna (two and half years old) – are found as malnourished. The village is predominantly occupied by Mawasi tribe composing of 42 households. All the families are landless but for seven families who have small scale-farmland in the nearby the forest.

Earlier, in the village alone, seven children reportedly died of malnutrition in 2008-09. However, the negligence of the administration authority for malnutrition and food insecurity is proved by the fact that neither were social security programmes properly implemented nor basic facilities for health care or safe drinking water were provided even after the death of the children. The apathy of the government creates more malnourished children who may confront the same fate of the deceased children.

After a media report and human rights groups’ appeal, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) visited the village on February 10, 2009. The NCPCR along with other administrative officials discovered that the village did not have basic facilities for child health care and safe drinking water. Furthermore, those who are entitled to get the benefits under social security programs aiming to guarantee food security have never received them.

It was further found that all the children under the age of six could not properly get immunization and supplementary food from the Anganwadi centre (AWC; Child care centre) as the centre was not available in the village. The fact finding team led by the NCPCR estimated that about 70 percent of the children below age of six were malnourished. The village head (Sarpanch) has been keeping the villagers’ job cards by which the card holders are entitled to get 100 day-employment for the poor under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

After the fact finding, the Collector of Satna district promised to issue new job cards to all, which never happened to the villagers. Instead, the Collector gave the photocopy of the cover page of each job card that was kept by the village head to the card holders. No one received old age pensions or widow pensions, and no ration card was issued to those families who do not have any.

On 19 March, 2010, it was reported that Nanchu (16 months old) died of malnutrition in the village. Nanchu was identified as grade III malnutrition or Severely Acute Malnutrition. The child was refused treatment at the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) as the centre had no spare bed at that time. The child could not get any medical care and was even removed in the list of AWC after the report on the death. The relevant public servants allegedly attempted to avoid their responsibility for the death.

The constant malnutrition deaths in the village brought public hearing on 31 July 2010. The NCPCR recommended setting up the AWC in the village after running sub-AWC. However, neither sub-AWC nor AWC was set up in the village till today. The nearest AWC is 2 kilometers away from the village and the health centre is 10 kilometers away. The village has been completely ignored by the administration while 86 AWC started running in the Block after the children died of malnutrition. In September, the applications for AWC helper were submitted whereas five children currently suffer from malnutrition. Neither health facility nor attention is given to the malnourished children even now.

The absence of public health facilities and the neglect of health related public servants detracted its credibility resulting in that the poor villagers depend on the traditional healer or quack who used to visit the villagers and provide medicines and treatment.

Food insecurity of the village promoted based in discrimination and corruption:

 

The Mawasi tribe settled down in the village about 60 years ago. At present, there are more than 42 Mawasi families. According to the testimonies of the villagers, most of the villagers work in the farm land owned by either Thakur or Yadovs. Only seven Mawasi families have farmland in the forest area. Five to six Yadov and Thakur landlords occupy 7 and 20 acres respectively but it is alleged that Thakurs do not have title to land.

The existing caste-based discrimination and feudalism have been rooted in the economic structure of the village. Thakur and Yadov who are from upper caste allegedly occupied the land by paying bribes to the government official whereas Mawasi tribe could not afford to pay to get the land title when asked by the government officials about 10 years ago. Mawasi villagers who work in upper castes farmland, are paid merely 30 to 40 Rupees (USD 0.68-0.9) a day, which is far less than the minimum wage for agriculture — 114 Rupees (USD 2.6). Women are paid less than men. When Mawasi made a complaint about low wage to the landlord, they were always told, “It is more than enough for you!”

The administration has been promoting the discrimination and exploitation instead of ensuring food security in the village. Particularly those who work in forest department have been practicing the discrimination and corruption against Mawasi tribe. The officials from time to time come to the village and destroy crops cultivated by Mawasi. All Mawasi villagers are under threat and women are verbally abused. Seven families filed a complaint against the forest department officials about threat and abuse against women on September 9 2010.

Earlier, twenty six families submitted the documents to the Forest Department to claim land right on July 4 2009. The Mawasi villagers inquired about the process of the case when they visited the department on September 9 2010, they were however informed that the department did not have the documents. At present, seven out of 26 families again prepare the documents to get the land title under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

While the poor Mawasi has been trying to get the title to land where they have been living and cultivating for more than half century, the some government officials attempt to destroy Mawasi tribe’s efforts to ensure their food security at home. Recently, the Revenue Department after the land survey announced that some lands are registered under the Revenue Department. However, the forest department official allegedly abuse their power against Mawasi, which is proved by the fact that on 25 October 2010, some officials came to the village and destroyed the crops of Mawasi.

Most of the families have Below the Poverty Line (BPL) ration card but those who established separate families have not received any ration card so far. The BPL card holders are entitled to get 20 kilograms of grains at subsidized price – 15 kilograms of wheat and 5 kilograms of rice respectively – that last a week or so at most in a family. On the contrary, according to the Supreme Court Order on right to food, the BPL families are entitled to get 35 kilograms of grain. In addition to that, despite extreme poor living condition of Mawasi tribe in the village, no AAY ration card for the poorest among the poor, providing 35 kilograms of grains at cheaper price than BPL card has been issued.

Right to work program called MGNREGS aiming to guarantee right to food for the poor has not been properly implemented in the village. The well construction for drinking water under the MGNREGS was launched and 25 Mawasi villagers worked from January to April 2008. However the workers have not received full wages until now and furthermore the well was unfinished. No one can drink the water nor approach the well with safety as some parts of the well were unfinished and collapsed.

Below list explains the workers underpayment and non-payment.

(Unit: rupees)

Name	sex	days of work	Wage Page	Wage to be paid
Usha Rajbhadur	female	34	700	1646
Tulsa Santhos	female	40	680	2080
Phulkali Shivkaran	female	44	700	2336
Kusma Bachilal	female	44	700	2336
Gurya Lakus	female	29	700	1301

*Daily wage under NREGS was 69 Rupees in 2008

 

another 20 workers have not received even a rupee so far. Total balance to be paid is 31,147 rupees (USD 707). On January 16, 2009, the villagers made a complaint to the Collector demanding their unpaid wage. The Collector has not taken any action for the complaint and rather got an award as a good model district of MGNREGS.

On the other hand, food insecurity promoted by the landlords as well as corrupt administration shown above led young Mawasi to migrate to Uttar Pradesh or Hyderabad. They make 1000 to 1500 rupees (USD 23 to 34) for three months. The migration is the last and the only option for food when there is no guarantee of food at home.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

 

Please join us in expressing your deep concern for the Mawasi families who confront child malnutrition and extreme food insecurity.

The AHRC has also written a separate letter calling for the intervention of the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to adequate food, on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

 

 

 

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