By Matters India Reporter
Raghavpur, April 25, 2020: The Right To Food Campaign has commended the West Bengal government for its decision to provide free ration to more than 14.6 million people in the eastern Indian state.
The government has decided to supply 5 kg rice to people from May to July this year.
This was in response to the plea from the various groups such as the right to food campaign partners in West Bengal to supply dry food provisions and sanitizers.
Right To Food Campaign West Bengal is a platform for several NGOs, non-political party unions and dedicated individuals working in the state’s 28 districts.
The campaign is headed by steering committee comprising members of the partner agencies. Social activists Anuradha Talwar and Jesuit Father Irudhaya Jothi convene the state team.
The partners indulge in charity work of distributing food.
But, the campaign always believes that ‘food’ is a fundamental right of every citizens and hence the government is duty bound to take care of the basic need of every one, explained Father Jothi.
However, the NGOs and others can only supplement the government initiatives, but never can be an alternative, he added.
Based on this premise, the campaign helps people to reach out to the local administrations for food from the Gratuity Relief. The campaign circulates the government emergency 24X7 Covid helpline numbers and encourages the people to contact them even for their food needs.
The campaign encouraged people in need to call up,‘Didi ke bolo’, (Talk to Sister), a special mobile number to contact the state chief minister on any issue, at this lockdown time as SOS call for food.
The daily teleconference of state team assesses the ground realities of hunger and decides to approach the administration for the relief and rehabilitation, when needed, Father Jothi explained.
Towards this end, the campaign engages in works such as:
Writing to the state chief minister and to her cabinet ministers on the condition of the starvation
Writing to the state chief secretary and secretaries of respective state ministries on special issues and problems and also of Tea garden issues
Operate WhatsApp and Twitter campaigns highlighting the gaps in public policies and engageing in Twitter storm on issues like #IndiaStarving and #WestBegnalStarving and tagged the decision makers
Releasing demand charters and press releases on a periodic basis in the last one month
Circulating the contact numbers of elected public representatives amongst our network members for engaging with their respective offices
Father Jothi claims the government’s decision to supply free ratio to so many people was a result of these initiatives.