India: FIAN Fact Finding Mission Exposes Grave Violations of Right to Adequate Food
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP), India - Jan. 10, 2012 - In its recent fact finding mission to India, FIAN International, an international human rights organization working for the right to adequate food, found violations of the fundamental right to life, through lack of access to food and water. Children, women, Dalits, marginalized, landless farmers, urban migrants, indigenous communities and the physically challenged, are among those victims who are mostly affected by the violations of this fundamental human right.
“India has well-formulated programmes and schemes targeted to alleviate poverty and hunger in the country. In reality, however, the Government of India lacks political will and accountability in implementing these programmes and schemes to guarantee the right to adequate food and water. Essential programs to prevent malnutrition such as the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) are not being implemented. Also, minor irrigation constructions are not providing the necessary water for many rural communities,” said Mr. Balbeer Singh Tomar, Director of FIAN Uttar Pradesh.
On December 11, 2011 an international fact finding mission composed of international and national delegates from Germany, Norway, Nepal and India was dispatched to investigate two cases of violations of the right to food in Uttar Pradesh – Jalalpur of Lakhimpur District and Ramgarh of Ballia District.
The mission visited Jalalpur, where 80 children are entitled to receive ICDS through Anganwadi centres in the same village, per Supreme Court orders under the right to food case. Literally meaning a courtyard shelter, Anganwadi centers are focal points for delivering all services provided under ICDS, which aims to reduce incidences of malnutrition, mortality and morbidity and to improve the health of children under six years of age. The scheme also includes measures to improve the health of pregnant and lactating women.
“In the absence of an Anganwadi center, children and women in Jalapur are denied access to the services and are therefore threatened by malnutrition,” said Mr. Champha Singh Bhandari of FIAN Nepal.
Despite previous demands by the people and FIAN since 2007, the Women and Child Department is yet to open an ICDS center in Jalalpur.
Another fact finding mission, to Ramgarh, block Sohaon, Ballia District, found that 400 households, who are primarily landless and marginalized farmers, as well as farm workers, are being denied irrigation water due to the malfunctioning of the Korantadeeh pump canal. The canal has not been providing water to the villagers of Ramgarh for irrigation since 1995. As a result, farmers are dependent on costly bore wells, making it difficult for them to feed themselves. Instead of paying INR 160 per acre per year for the canal water, the farmers have to pay INR 8000 for bore well irrigation.
“This is too costly for the most marginalized farmers, resulting in migrations from the village. This has social implications for the villagers,” said Ms. Yifang Tang of FIAN International.
India has the right to life enshrined in its constitution in article 21. India is also a signatory to numerous international covenants, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right, Convention of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of the Discrimination Against Women. FIAN and its partners call on the Indian Government to take immediate measures to guarantee its people the right to adequate food and water.