INDIA: Yet another person dies from starvation in Uttar Pradesh 

INDIA: Government neglect; caste based discrimination; corruption; right to food; failing public health system
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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 Mr. Kammal Musahar, who died from acute starvation in Sarsanwa village in Harahuwa of district of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state. Kammal died on 28 October 2007 in his village.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

Mr. Kammal Musahar [picture 1] is from the Musahar community of Sarsanwa village. Kammal was about 50 years old. Kammal and his family were trying to make a living by selling plates made from leaves. The family that includes Kammal, son Lalai, Lalai’s wife Radha and their daughters Sunita and Munita could hardly have a meal a day with their earnings from selling leaf plates.

On 28 October 2007 Kammal died from acute starvation. Kammal’s picture speaks volumes about the family’s living condition. A staff from the PVCHR who met Kammal’s family was informed about the hard life the family is leading as of now. Lalai, Kammal’s son informs that the family though is qualified for state government support never received support from the government since the village head of Sarsanwa village refused to help the family. Even though Lalai had applied for a ration card with the village head, the family was refused a card by the village head since they were not able to pay the bribes the village head had demanded.

Lalai had to borrow money from money lenders and others from the village several times for keeping the family alive thus far. Now he is left with not a single penny to pay back his debt. Lalai and his wife are willing to do any work for a living. But the community in the village is not willing to engage them for any work since the family is from an untouchable community according to the caste practices in the village. Sunita, Kammal’s grandchild, informs that several days they have nothing to eat and that she had to go to the school with empty stomach.

The village head of Sarsanwa is Mr. Durga Prasad Yadav [picture 2]. He pleads that the family has never applied for any ration card. He also claims that he did not even know that Kammal and his family were in need. This however is refuted by the PVCHR since it is not only Kammal’s family that is facing such a situation in the village. All Musahar families in the village face similar situation. There are about 15 to 20 Musahar families in the village. Most of them do not have a ration card.

The Sarsanwa village lacks every facility that the state government is supposed to be providing in a village. There are no health facilities available for the villagers. The upper caste families could go to the town for medical help in case they need. These families could afford for their travel and even treatment at private hospitals. But for the Musahar communities they cannot afford to travel out from the village and needless to say they cannot afford for any treatment at private hospitals.

This is not the first instance where the AHRC has reported cases of starvation death from Uttar Pradesh. AHRC in the past one year has reported six cases of deaths from starvation from Uttar Pradesh state alone. For further information please see Foodjustice. Please also see AS-174-2007 and AL-011-2007 for an overview of the situation in India and particularly in Uttar Pradesh regarding the situation of right to food and how this right is systematically denied to the lower caste communities 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 to the UN Rapporteur on Right to Food calling for an intervention in this case.

 

 

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