Despite economic growth severe violations of the right to food in India

After nearly two decades, the state report was submitted to CESCR in October 2006 on the situation of human rights in India, such as the rights to work, food, water, housing, health, social security, education, right to protection of family, and cultural rights.

The expectations of both CESCR and of Indian civil society have been very high. Sign of these expectations is the large presence of national and international NGOs in Geneva to observe the process, and the many civil society parallel reports submitted to the Committee in order to supplement the Government of India’s official report.

The process of the elaboration of the state report was largely non participatory. The general attitude of the state before and during the review of the report by the UN body in Geneva reflected a lack of political will to actively consult and engage with civil society and to present the true reality of human rights in India. During the day and a half (7 and 8 May 2008) session between the Committee and the India delegation, the UN experts deplored the attitude of the state and its failure to adequately respond and address the concerns and questions raised by the Committee.

The main issues of concern observed and highlighted by FIAN are as follows:

•  Despite the government’s rhetoric of ‘inclusive growth’ the following social groups experienced unprecedented exclusion and violation of their economic, social and cultural rights: women, Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and other religious minorities, the informal sector, fisher folk, children, persons with disabilities, and other excluded groups.
• The impoverished and marginalized in India face massive displacement in the name of ‘development’ for projects such as dams, mining, establishment of Special Economic Zones, urban renewal, slum demolitions, tourism, sanctuaries etc. Displacement destroys people’s access to food producing resources and lack of sustainable rehabilitation leads to growing threat of hunger and starvation and violations of human rights. Violence used against people who protest such development projects is of particular concern for FIAN.
• Absence of social security for the excluded groups, despite promises of the same and the lack of implementation of the existing constitutional provisions, laws policies, plans and schemes
• High levels of malnutrition leading to chronic hunger, starvation deaths, and irreversible health effects among pregnant women, children, Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalized groups.
• The definition of poverty should be broadened to include the fulfilment of all the basic needs of an individual and enjoyment of rights in dignity. The present definition of poverty excludes millions of Indians from availing social security programmes and face contact threat to their survival.

Against the magnitude of these severe concerns, FIAN along with civil society in India will closely and actively monitor the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations in the coming months and years.

See the Parallel Report on India