By Alphonsa Kumari

Kolkata, December 17, 2018: West Bengal Right to Food Campaign (RTFC) engaged the political leaders at Mahabodhi Society Hall in Kolkata to eradicate starvation death by every means on December 15.

Jesuit priest and social activist Irudhaya Jothi and Anuradha Talwar, both belonging to Right to Food Campaign (RTC) and Swapan Ganguly from Paschim Bango Khet Majdur Samiti along with scores of social activists addressed the convention.

Eminent leaders from national and local political parties were part of this discussion.

A series of starvation deaths in the year 2017-2018 starting from the death of 11-year-old Santoshi of Jharkhand in September 2017 to the death of the three little girls Mansi (aged 8), Shikha (aged 4) and Parul (aged 2) from Delhi’s Mandawali area on July 26, 2018 to most recently the death of seven people from the Sabar (Tribal) community in Lalgarh, Paschim Midnapur, West Bengal, which have shocked the whole country and necessitated this dialogue with political parities.

National Right to Food Campaign through its long-drawn struggle had brought into effect two major Acts in the parliament: primarily minimum of 100 days work for all the eligible citizens through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act-2005 (MGNREGA).

National Food Security Act of 2013 (NFSA) Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) provides highly subsidized food grains to the poorest of the poor, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) hot cooked meals in the school Mid Day Meal (MDM) with Maternity Entitlement for pregnant and lactating mothers were the outcome of the protests carried out by the campaign.

Representatives of 12 eminent civil society organisations of Bengal engaged some national and local political parties; namely, All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Aam Admi Party (AAP), Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), Jai Bhim Network, Young Bengal, Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, National Federation of Indina Women (NFIW), Samajwadi Forward Bloc.

In response to the casual attitude of the Indian Government in the face of starvation and death, the West Bengal Right to Food Campaign initiated on November 16, 2018 a new movement namely ‘Bhukha Manusher Adhikar Abhijan’ (Hungry People’s Movement).

Along with this, the Campaign also felt the need of bridging the gap between the political parties so that its legitimate demands in relation to Right to Food and Work could be incorporated within the manifestos of these political parties.

The major agenda of the political engagements were relating to agricultural production, purchase the produce from the farmers with minimum support price and distribution of the same with subsidized rate through the targeted Public Distribution System (PDS) along with Forest dwellers Rights and Women’s Rights.

The major demands which were put forth by the Campaign include Universalisation of Public Distribution of Food grains at a subsidized rate, oil and pulses along with food grains and the increased quantity and quality of the same.

Increase in MNREGA work days from 100 to 240 days with an increase of wage to Rs. 600/- per day as per minimum wage act of Indian Government to the organised workers.

There were demands to abolish digitization of ration cards, introduction of PoS machines and Aadhar linkage. Non-implementation of Maternity Entitlements (ME) was elaborately discussed and demands for proper implementation of the scheme were put forth.

“Land in India is concentrated in the hands of a few ‘Non-Producers’ which is the reason why the producers are not receiving their legitimate share which is turning the Indian economy upside down. Therefore, there is a need of collective action to transform the existing system within the country,” said Daud Ali Gazi from All India Kisan Khet Majdur Sangathan.

The major outcomes of this discussion showed that the agricultural policies in India are not in the favour of the farmers. Also food and work-related problems of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are not taken into consideration by the government. Therefore, there is a need to initiate collective action from the grass root level.

There is a need to revive the spirit of the constitution and to bring about a change into the present system which can only be possible through collaboration with the political parties.

The Campaign along with its newly initiated ‘Bhukha Manusher Adhikar Abhijan’ movement of hungry people plan to negotiate with the political parties so that both the civil society and the administration unanimously speak in one language for realization of the bigger goals relating to food and work rights towards eradication of starvation in the country.