UPDATE (India): More children severely malnourished found in Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh 

[RE: AHRC-HAC-008-2009: UPDATE (India): Approximately 83 percent of the children in eight villages of Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh are malnourished]

Dear Friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding malnourished children in the villages of Java Block, Rewa District. We have found that many children are severely malnourished and the government schemes and programs guaranteeing right to food, including heath care and employment are not fully implemented because of discrimination against the tribal community as well as the corruption of the duty bearers. Despite the demand for immediate action for the severely malnourished children, neither government authorities nor the health institution has taken any action. 

UPDATED INFORMATION:

The AHRC has reported in AHRC-HAC-008-2009 that more than 80 percent of the children are malnourished in Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh. We have received more details about other children who are severely malnourished in three villages at present.

Kuthila village

One year-old Meena died in November 2009. She was severely malnourished and identified as grade IV. She was refused treatment by the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) at Sirmour in September 2009 when her parents took her there. The official of the NRC at that time told that there was no bed available for Meena.

With the help of human rights activists of Samaj Chetna Adhikar Manch, Meena was admitted at the NRC located in Java Block on 30 September. She was discharged after 14 days of treatment which did little to improve her health condition, and died 15 days later. Meena’s sister Himashi (20 months old) is also identified as malnutrition grade III. As Meena’s case, the NRC also refused Himashi.

Mr. Sukhchain, Meena and Himashi’s father migrated to Uttar Pradesh state in order to get a job to support his six family members. The family belonging to tribal community live in Kuthila village, Java Block, Rewa district where four children are reportedly malnourished in a previous hunger alert. As Sukhchain’s family does not have farmland, which is the main income source in rural areas, he was forced to migrate to seek a job for a year while depending on government schemes guaranteeing food security for the poor.

None of the government schemes are fully implemented. Sukhchain has a Job card providing 100 day-employment under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) a year but was merely given 20 days employment. Moreover, the relevant administration authority has not paid him so far. The ration card issued to the poor has never given to his family. Other families deprived of their fundamental rights like Sukhchain’s family are facing a similar situation.

Ashish (12 months old) is also severely malnourished weighing 5.3 kilograms. His father Mr. Ramai has neither a ration card nor a job card. The family have no other choice but to migrate to Uttar Pradesh since Ramai has no income source.

All these children are far away from the Anganwadi (AWCs; child care centre) worker’s support. The workers belonging to the upper caste do not take care of these tribal children and no government officials monitor their lack of action.

Ramgadhwa village

Deepak suffering from grade IV malnutrition was reported in last hunger alert. His father who holds a job card has worked for only 12 days in a year. As he could not get any work nearby his village, all the family were forced to migrate to another area. Migration in creating insecurity makes children more vulnerable to the seasonal diseases and malnutrition. Five more children suffering malnutrition and exclusion from government schemes are listed below.

1. Jyoti, daughter of Ram Prasad Kol (tribal community), 2 kilograms weight, no ration card, no job card
2. Uma (24 months old), daughter of Ram Bhajan Kol, grade III malnutrition
3. Rashmi (36 months old), daughter of Munna Lal, grade III malnutrition
4. Sangita (24 months old), daughter of Shivvachan, grade III malnutrition
5. Archana (12 months old), daughter of Ram Saroj, grade III malnutrition

It is alleged that the ration shop in the village opens on a few days per month and even the villagers come to know about it they find it difficult to manage cash to collect rations on a particular but unpredictable date. Those who have job cards under NREGA only get 10-12 days of employment a year against the proposed 100 days employment. They are even paid half of full payment earmarked after the work evaluation by Panchayat (local council institution) Secretary.

There is an allegation that the villagers employed under the NREGA are not paid by hours /days but paid by the amount of work they finish a day. In fact the local administration ignores the fact that even adults exposed to food insecurity do not have same physical capacity as average adults’ one. The evaluation is not based on the context of their food insecurity.

The worker at AWC in the village rarely comes to the visit the children and women and the supervisor or Panchayat pays little attention.

Kalyanpur village

Priyanka suffers from grade IV malnutrition. She was also refused by the NRC at Java Block and not even referred to other health institutions. Her father Mr. Sanat Kumar has not been given any work for last three months though having a job card. The irregularity in the opening of the ration shop makes it difficult for his family to collect rations with their Below the Poverty Line (BPL) card.

Sushma is identified as grade IV malnutrition. Her father Mr. Pappu Basor migrates along with whole family mostly for a year to Kanpur and all family members do rag-picking for a living. Even worse than other families, they have not received work under the NREGA. They find it difficult to manage two meals a day causing Sushman to suffer from malnutrition.

Whereas Motilal (18 months old) malnourished as grade IV merely weighing 7 kilograms was treated at the NRC for 14 days. He improved but still suffers from grade II malnutrition after discharge. This results from the absence of follow up treatment including provision of nutrition. Motilal’s father Mr. Jayprakash, the same as Sanat Kumar has not had any work from 100 days-employment scheme for last three months. Families depending on the government schemes for right to food have to take a loan at high interest to manage daily food. Despite this they sometimes eat only Indian flat bread with salt or chilly.

All these children in the village have been deprived of their right to food and health, which is supposed to be ensured by the government programme, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) at the first stage.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the authorities named below to express your concern for the severely malnourished children. The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER