Hunger Deaths in Jharkhand: AIKS urges Jharkhand Government to appoint Judicial Commission Press note issued at press conference at AIKS office on 13 November 2017 New Delhi
Victim’s family must get house, employment, pension and compensation
A delegation of AIKS led by P Krishnaprasad, Finance Secretary visited Karimati Village; Simdega on 10th November 2017 where Santhoshi Kumari aged 11 years died due to starvation on 28th September 2017. So far five starvation deaths were reported from Jharkhand. The other deaths were of Baidanath Ravi Das of Dhanbad, Rooplal Murmu of Mohanpur, Devghar, Suresh Oraon of Garwa and Vinod Ravi Das of Katras of Dhanbad. Among the five three are Adivasis. However the Jharkhand Government on a denial mode has been trying to suppress the seriousness of the issue.
The delegation met the family members including mother Koyili Devi, Grandmother Devaki Devi, Sister Gudiya Devi, uncle Nayak and many villagers in the neighborhood. The family is not having a proper house and permanent income. They have only 12 dismal lands. The family gets daily labour only 10-12 days in a month at wage of Rs.100 for female and 150 for male.
The family members have confirmed that the death happened due to chronic hunger. They denied the claim made by Chief Minister Raghubar Das that she died due to Malaria. The Ration Card No:202006991124 in the name of Koyili Devi gives ample evidence that the family did not get ration since April 2017 and only after the death of the girl the family got ration of 21 kg rice, 14kg wheat and 2 liter Kerosene oil on 23rd October 2017 from the dealer namely Arun Shah.
Jharkhand has about 2.5 crore PDS beneficiaries. As per official data, 11.30 lakhs names of card holders were removed from the list of beneficiaries citing the reason that no linkage to Adhar. The Chief Secretary Raja Bala Varma in March had given an order directing the district administrations to delete the names of PDS beneficiaries whose ration cards were not linked to Aadhar. Around 385 of poor families belonging to Tribal, Dalit and Minority sections were denied by cancelling ration cards or by not renewing cards.
Those responsible must be booked for culpable homicide: Santhoshi Kumari’s family has the Aadhar Card and their ration card was with the dealer. But the family was denied ration since April saying the biometric data was not available. How such failure of the administration could be justified for denying the right of food security to the people. It is criminal dereliction of duty and all responsible for the tragic death of the girl must be booked for culpable homicide. AIKS demands that the State Government appoint a judicial commission to examine hunger deaths in Jharkhand so that the dispute on deaths can be settled and fix responsibilities including of the Chief Minister and cabinet members. AIKS demands that the Government construct a house for the victim’s family. The Government must provide Rs 10 lakh compensation; ensure permanent employment and family pension.
It was shocking and inhuman that after the incident the RSS-BJP activists in the village have continuously harassed and accused the members of the victim’s family of maligning the State Government’s image and due to insecurity they were forced to leave the village. It is positive that the local administration has pursued the family to come back and four security guards are posted there.
BJP led Governments must give up pro-corporate, anti-national development policies that endanger food security of the people: The series of hunger deaths expose the danger of anti-poor; anti-national development policy of the BJP led State and Central Governments. The issue is not only of linking ration card with Aadhaar card but the larger pro-corporate development policy imposed on the people by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that adversely affects the food security of the people. The social security measures are neglected under BJP rule. The central government controls social development programmes like MGNREGA, ICDS but has no commitment to them and is curtailing budgetary allocation. If the mid day meal scheme was proper, then Santhoshi’s life could have been saved.
60% of the crop production in Jharkhand is grains and farmers are not getting the MSP at the rate of Rs 15.50 per kilo as announced by CACP. The state Government has failed to ensure procurement centers. Hence peasant families are forced to sell at Rs 9- 11 per kilo. It was the failure of BJP led State Government. During the first months of demonetization, the price went down to even Rs 7 per kilo. In Kerala, the State government has assured Rs 23.50 per kilo and civil supplies corporation has made arrangement for procurement. The MGNREGA is not being implemented in villages for the last six months thus denying wage income to peasant and agriculture worker families most of them are Tribals. The ban on cattle trade has badly affected the income of rural households. Without ensuring remunerative price to crops, animal wealth and decent wage and employment to workers how the poor can fight poverty and advance to development?
BJP led State Government is more interested to amend the land laws to tribal and to gift tribal land to corporate companies. The Central Government is doing everything to ensure more profit to corporate companies Instead of protecting the poor sections. Allowing 100% FDI in agriculture and retail trade, E-Platform to link agriculture markets, announcement of contract farming are example of the pro corporate and anti-national policies of the BJP. On the other hand there are no steps to ensure remunerative price at 50 % above cost of production, bring comprehensive loan waiver, full implementation of MGNREGA linking with agriculture, right to cattle trade and pension to farmers above 60 years age. The hunger deaths in Jharkhand are a result of these wrong development policies. AIKS demand BJP to adopt pro-people development policies as in Kerala that will ensure elimination of poverty and hunger deaths and strengthen social welfare.
The delegation members were P Krishnaprasad, Finance Secretary of AIKS, Surjeet Sinha, State Secretary, Praful Linda, Vice President, Birendra Kumar Treasurer and Suphal Mahto Vice President of Jharkhand AIKS unit.
The press conference attended by
Ashok Dhawale (President), N K Shukla, Vijoo Krishnan (Joint Secretaries), P Krishnaprasad (Finance Secretary)
