INDIA: Pregnant mother dies of starvation in Nadia District, West Bengal

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) regarding the death by starvation of a young pregnant mother. Ms. Bulbuli Paul, a pregnant 25 year-old mother of two, died at almost full term (nine months). The cause of death was reported as malnutrition by the health officer of the village. 

Bulbuli’s death and malnourished state is the result of the living conditions in her village and her husband’s job situation. Bulbuli’s husband is unable to provide food for his family and although the family is living in abject poverty, they are not under any government or independent poverty alleviation schemes.  

The AHRC urges you to write to the authorities in West Bengal and the Nadia district and bring to their attention the plight of Ms. Paul’s family and many others who reside in her village. Further, we ask you to press that government assistance must be provided to the victims in the area to prevent another starvation death from occurring.

Urgent Appeals Desk — Hunger Alert
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Location: Village of Kechuadanga, Karimpur, Nadia District, West Bengal, India           
Name of victim: Ms. Bulbuli Paul, age 25, wife of Mr. Buddhadeb Paul and mother of two sons                    
Cause of death: Malnutrition/starvation      
Place and date of death: early hours of Tuesday, March 9, 2005 at Karimpur Rural Hospital, Nadia

MASUM reports that Ms. Bulbuli Paul, a 25 year-old mother of two sons and almost nine months pregnant with her third, died in the early hours of March 9, 2005 of malnutrition and starvation. She was brought to the Karimpur Rural Hospital on the evening of March 8, 2005 complaining of breathing problems and weakness due to lack of food. The hospital did not have the resources to treat her and she was referred to the Saktinagar District Hospital. Further, medical officer Dr. R.N. Biswas noted that the rural hospital only had one ambulance to service the entire community and many times could not transport critical patients. The family however, lacking the Rs. 600/- ambulance fee, could not afford to transport Bulbuli to the hospital. She died shortly thereafter. 

According to Block Health Officer Dr. Subrata Das, malnutrition was the primary cause of Ms. Paul’s death. The doctor also commented that when admitted to the hospital, it was apparent the patient was undernourished and suffering. In fact, the entire family has been suffering from lack of food for the past year as Bulbuli’s husband has not been able to secure permanent wages. Buddhadeb Paul works as a betel leaves cultivator and the industry has seen a sharp decline in prices over the past year. Consequently, jobs are now scarce and Mr. Paul is often out of work. He no longer is able to support his wife and children and the family is now living in abject poverty. 

Elected member of the Karimpur Gram Panchayat (village council), Ms. Banani Mondal, stated that currently, the betel plant growers and their families are destitute and the government is doing nothing for their survival. MASUM also contacted Block Development Officer of Karimpur-I Block Mr. Soumitra Sankar Sengupta and President of Marimpur I Panchayat Samity Mr. Sadhan Halder who both divulged that the Paul family was not on the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list. The affected family is also not enlisted in other government run protective schemes including General Relief, Antyodaya, Annapurna, and Jahar Rojgar Yojana. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Bulbuli’s husband, Buddhadeb Paul, is employed by the betel leaves cultivation industry. He is a daily wage labourer which implies his salary depends on job availability. When working, Mr. Paul earns Rs. 30/- per day, however at the time of his wife’s death, he had been unemployed for seven days. 

In 2003, the price of betel leaves fell drastically. As a result, employees of the industry were greatly affected; salaries were reduced and job availability decreased significantly. The little compensation provided by the government was inadequate and thus many people in the Karimpur village may suffer the same fate as the Paul family. Two betel leaves workers have already committed suicide in the village. Further, many of the betel leaves growers are still not under the various government sponsored poverty alleviation schemes. 

MASUM also writes: “This is yet another case of death caused by hunger. A lot of government welfare programmes exist throughout the country but due to corrupt administration, some of these programmes are futile. The government cannot shed their responsibilities for the premature and unfortunate death of Bulbuli Paul.” 

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, District Magistrate of Nadia, and other related government officials condemning their neglect and urging them to provide assistance to Bulbuli Paul’s family and community. 

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