Starvation a reality in state, says report
Asim Pramanik
in Behrampore
Oct. 28. – It is time for the international community to take a look at the confirmed report of starvation deaths in a Marxists-ruled state in India. The Jalangi starvation report prepared last month by the probe panel of the former judges of Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi High Courts would be published soon.
The report has confirmed that acute starvation is a reality in West Bengal. The panel led by the former judge of Mumbai High Court, Mr H Suresh visited the starvation-hit areas of Jalangi block in Murshidabad district, stayed there for two days and conducted direct hearing which was attended by the family members of starvation death victims, their neighbours and those suffering from acute hunger and poverty in the villages like Paraspur, Taltoli, Dayarampur, Biswaspara in Jalangi.
The quasi-judicial exercise by the judges, human rights activists and medical experts on 23 and 24 September this year, was termed as people’s tribunal that enquired into the starvation prevailing in Jalangi and the deaths caused by hunger and malnutrition.
The starvation deaths in Jalangi first came to light following an exclusive coverage by The Statesman and Dainik Statesman in last February. According to subsequent media reports, at least 10 people died of hunger in the erosion-affected villages along the Indo-Bangla border in Jalangi.
“The starvation situation in Jalangi was assessed as per the standard laid down by the World Health Organisation. The former high court judges went door to door in the hunger-hit villages and ascertained the problem. Our medical experts got the findings that confirm starvation. People falling prey at random to blindness owing to deficiency of vitamin-A also found place in the reports by medical experts,” Mr Kirity Roy, secretary of MASUM, human rights body jointly working with Asian Human Rights Commission said. Mr Roy added that the tribunal report would be published in a few days and the United Nations reports on starvation would have a comprehensive coverage on the findings of the tribunal which was led by the former judge of Mumbai High Court, Mr H Suresh
