Civil society in Orissa is going to hold a public hearing on food security on 21 November. It is organized by Right to Food Campaign Orissa, Focus Orissa, Malkanagiri, OREGS Watch, Water Rights Orissa, KBK Round Table, Samuhik Marudi Praikar Mach, and Janata Vikas Manch.
All civil organizations working for tribal rights and rural development are expected to participate in the public hearing to discuss the government schemes aiming to ensure right to food in tribal region. The full text of statement by Food Right Collective for the public hearing is like below.
The right to food is a fundamental right of the constitution, as part of the fundamental right to life. In India, after six decades of independence we have sent rockets and satellites into space, after we have acquired the most sophisticated technology in different sciences, after we have reached double figure growth rates, after we have beaten the recession that is affecting different countries across the globe, we have still not guaranteed this very fundamental right to food to the citizens of our country. Up to 47% of our children are malnourished say different statistics and different surveys national and international across the country. In terms of sheer numbers, this is a mind boggling figure: Approximately 18 crore children at the very least in this country do not get enough food to eat. There are different theories to this. The multi-lateral institutions would have us believe we do not know how to feed our children, the UN agencies insist it is all a matter of sanitation, and making enough latrines all over the country side, the right to food campaigners would have us believe that the children do not have the right entitlements, the trade lobby, of course, insists that it is just a matter of supplements, which they can provide with their right mixes.
Nobody however, considers that if 47% of our children are malnourished is it not an indication that nearly half the people in this country are too poor to even provide enough food for their children. In a country like India, with such knowledge systems, the ancient and well developed civilisation, extremely well-developed systems of traditional medicines and health care, which taught our conquerors many things, it is extremely difficult to believe that our communities are too ignorant and stupid to know what and how to feed our children.
Hunger, malnutrition, ill-health are complex factors that cannot be addressed by pat simplistic solutions like entitlements, health education, sanitation etc. All of them play a part, but hugely more important is the right of every person to produce or earn his or her food. Is this right being denied to the people? We believe it is. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) is an apology for the right to work. The right to productive assets has been long been taken away from the communities, and this denial is being increasingly enforced on people through the likes of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 etc. If one really thinks about it even a little a bit, the realisation is forced on us, that governments in this country are very consciously, and with commitment, trying to bury or scuttle acts that give people any right, any sovereignty, and making it their business to promote Acts that will pander to purely commercial interests. Just think about it, the 73rd amendment of the Indian constitution was passed in 1992 to empower Panchayats (village council institute) to govern themselves. However, not one significant decision about its resources, about its economy, about its development can be taken by a Panchayat. Likewise, The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 has been given a quiet burial, and no funeral service was held! The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 tried to address some of these issues, but, everything in this Act is proximated on the will of the departments!
In calling for a Public hearing on Food Security and Food Schemes, it is not the intention here to analyze the policy situation, but to allow people affected by the denials to speak out, and provide the analysis of why there is an acute, and in fact frightening food shortage in this country for some, and what could be the possible options and solutions. The proliferation of gyms and slimming institutions signifies the huge mindless divide that is opening up in this country between the haves and have-nots.
The hearing tries to involve people from some of the most deprived and marginalised communities, and seeks to make just a beginning in involving the people behind the culture of silence in the public debates on the right to food and the food security act that is proposed. We do hope, we do entreat governments, and representatives to give a hearing to the people deposing in this public hearing, and not take it as an affront to their functioning and existing, but as the initiation of a meaningful dialogue for a more food secure future for all.
Contact for details on Public Hearing: Mr. Ashis Das (Mobile: +91 9437384019), foodrightscollectiveodisha@gmail.com
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