INDIA: Three-year-old Dalit boy may die soon from acute starvation in Jaunpur 

INDIA: Government neglect; caste based discrimination; corruption; right to food; failing public health system
——————————————————

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights [PVCHR] in Uttar Pradesh regarding the case of Mukesh, a three-year-old boy who may die soon due to acute starvation. Mukesh is from the Chamar community, which is considered as untouchable in India by the caste Hindus.

CASE DETAILS:

Mukesh [picture 1] is three year old. He is the son of Mr. Ram Lagan. They belong to the Chamar community of Bhaisa village in Kerakat administrative block of Jaunpur district. Mukesh may die due to malnutrition if immediate assistance is not provided to him. Mukesh is suffering from Grade IV Malnutrition and he weighs only 5.5 kilograms.

Ram Lagan has four children. The eldest, Bablu is aged 16 years. He studied up to class VIII. But he had to drop off from the school since his family could not provide for any further education. Now he is working as a manual labourer. The second son is Dablu, aged 13 years who studied up to class III. He also had to drop off from school and is now assisting Ram in his work. Madhubala, the daughter, is aged five years and is also not attending any school. Mukesh is the fourth who is now suffering from acute malnourishment and the subject of this alert.

The PVCHR activist Ms. Susila Devi came to know about Mukesh and his family from the Pandit Din Dayal Upadhaya Hospital. Sushila was in the hospital regarding the treatment of some other children that PVCHR is now taking care of from other places at the hospital. Being informed about Mukesh and his family the PVCHR has now taken up the case of Mukesh and his family. Mukesh was given immediate medical assistance through the PVCHR. Please see [picture 2] of Mukesh at the hospital.

Mukesh was admitted at the hospital on 13 November 2007. His father Ram had to sell his three-wheeler cycle for Mukesh’s earlier treatment while they were at the village. But unfortunately the money was spent for treatment by a quack.

The family lives in appalling conditions. Ram has an Antodaya Anya Yojana (AAY) card and gets 35 kilograms of ration from Public Distribution System (PDS) shop. However, the distribution of the ration is not regular. Additionally, food materials distributed through the ration shop is not adequate enough to keep malnutrition away from an infant.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Bhaisa is one of the villages in Jaunpur district predominantly occupied by the Chamar community. Their main source of income is weaving, manual labour and farming. The Anganwadi [child care centre] staff and Auxiliary Nursing Mothers [ANM] are appointed in this area. But Mukesh and his sister were not registered at the Anganwadi centre.

The Anganwadi is a government run centre where nutritious food and primary medical care is expected to be provided to the poor children. It is also a place where the staffs are expected to keep records of the general health conditions of rural children who visit the Anganwadi. These records are vital because they are also used by the state governments to take policy decisions regarding medical care for rural children.

The Anganwadi staffs are also trained in adopting WHO protocols. The activities at the Anganwadis are: 1) continuous mapping of severely malnourished children in village, 2) regular weighing of children with the involvement of mothers, 3) tracking and listing, referral services, home visits by Anganwadi helpers, 4) special visits to the homes of the children discharged from Malnutrition Treatment Centre (MTC) and involvement of community volunteers. Children falling in Grade III and IV of malnutrition must be monitored for signs and symptoms of infections and referred to Public Health Centres, First Referral Unit (FRU) or Community Health Centres for treatment. Unfortunately the ANMs who are supposed to be working through the Anganwadi in Bhaisa are negligent in service. Such practice is not limited to Bhaisa.

Neglect of duty and lack of proper accountability of the primary health care staff is quite common in India. The AHRC in the past has reported several cases where poor children from rural background have lost their life due to the neglect of the primary health care staff in India. This partially explains why one in every third malnourished child lives in India.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to express your concern in this case. The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Food calling for an intervention in this case.

 

 

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