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UPDATE 14:
Two years of PIL on Right to Food and one year after Action Day on Mid-Day Meals
Dear Friends,
Two anniversaries are happening this month. PUCL (Rajasthan) filed its petition in the Supreme Court in April 2001, just two years ago. This “public interest litigation” (PIL) on the right to food has become widely known across the country and beyond. The right to food campaign itself is an outgrowth of this litigation. The second anniversary is of the first major action of the right to food campaign – the “national day of action on mid-day meals” of 9 April, 2002. This is a good opportunity to look back at the events of the last two years and evaluate the progress of the campaign. In this connection we’d like to draw your attention to the third report of the Commissioner, Dr. N.C. Saxena, submitted to the Supreme Court a few days ago (see item 3 below).
Much is happening on the “right to work” front, particularly in connection with the forthcoming “week of action on the right to work”, ending on 1 May, 2003. Further details on this will follow in the next update, to be sent very soon (see also the campaign website, www.righttofood.com, especially the new section on the right to work). Meanwhile, this update covers other recent developments.
The headlines:
1. AIDWA DHARNA (24 April, 2003)
The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) is planning a major dharna “for the right to work and a universal PDS” on 24 April, 2003. AIDWA’s announcement follows:
“As part of its ongoing campaign against hunger, for universalisation of the right to cheap food through the public distribution system and for work, the All India Democratic Women's Association is organising a dharna in New Delhi on April 24 in which women from different States are likely to participate. The AIDWA had held demonstrations and street actions in 20 States in the last six months on the above demands. In some areas AIDWA has been able to win some immediate relief for women like employment in Government schemes, BPL or Antyodaya cards. However the experience of the campaign highlights very clearly the reality that the targeted food system is intrinsically flawed, is an exclusionary system in a country where the vast majority of the people require food subsidies. Therefore the issue of universalisation of the right to food is a focus in the AIDWA campaign. This is even more essential given the drastic and long-term effects of the drought situation and hunger created by the retreat of the Government from its minimum responsibilities of provision of work. Another experience in the campaign has been the information of the deteriorating status of women as a result of hunger such as working for wages less than earlier, leave alone the minimum wage, deterioration in health status, increase in violence against poor women.
All these issues will be highlighted in the dharna. You are invited to join. For further details please contact our central office at 011-23710476, 23319566 or
through e-mail aidwa@ndb.vsnl.net.in.”
A follow-up invitation, just received from Subhashini Ali (President, AIDWA) and Brinda Karat (General Secretary, AIDWA), states:
“This is to invite you to a Sangharsh Sabha and dharna on April 24 at Mavalankar Hall Grounds, Rafi Marg, New Delhi as part of the ongoing AIDWA organized struggle for regular employment and low-priced foodgrains. The dharna raises the demand for universalisation of the food distribution system and an end to targeting, for reduction in the prices of rationed foodgrains that are presently unaffordable even at the BPL level. We are demanding an employment guarantee scheme with special provision for single women and female-headed families. Women from over a dozen states are expected to participate and representatives would speak at the Sangharsh Sabha on their experiences and struggles. It hardly needs to be stated that the demands being raised are crucial for women’s advance, indeed the widespread food deprivation faced by poor women is an important factor in the devaluation of women’s status today. The struggle asserts that there can be no “empowerment” of women without at least the minimum requirement of food and employment.
Com. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, CPI(M) General Secretary has agreed to make the opening remarks to be followed by presentations from women participants. They include Ms. Chinta, Omvati, Ram Devi, Shakuntala, Shah Jehan, Sangeeta. We await conformation from other speakers from different States. We have also invited economists and Government officials. Capt Lakshmi Sahgal, the legendary freedom fighter, will give the concluding address. A declaration cum resolution on the demands and the future course of struggle is also expected to be adopted.
We invite you to join the Sangharsh Sabha that will start at 10.30 am to 1pm to be followed by a dharna till 4pm. Women coming from outside Delhi would be happy to interact with citizens of the capital and would go back with the confidence that their voices have been heard at least by the people if not the Government.
Venue: Mavalankar Hall Grounds, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001. Time 10.30 am. If you require any further details please do contact us at 23319566 or 23710476.”
2. SUPREME COURT HEARING POSTPONED
The Supreme Court hearing to be held on 8 April 2003 has been postponed to 1 May 2003. The forthcoming hearing on 1st May is likely to take up the question of BPL selection, the second and the third reports of the commissioner, and a host of other issues.
3. THIRD REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER
Dr N.C. Saxena, Commissioner of the Supreme Court, has just submitted his third report to the Court. The report seeks to evaluate the progress of the right to food case in the past two years. Arguing for renewed attention to the right to food on an urgent basis, the report urges the court to take up both the issue of holding non-implementing states accountable and reorient the attention of the court towards the fundamental pleas of the litigation including the issue of work guarantee.
The Commissioner’s third report will not be in the public domain until the next Supreme Court hearing on 1 May. Immediately after that, the report will be posted on the campaign website (www.righttofood.com), in the “Commissioner’s Work” section. If you wish to see an advance copy (“embargoed” until 1 May), please send a line to
right2food@yahoo.co.in.
4. MADHYA PRADESH: CAMPAIGN STEPPED UP
There has been intensified activity in Madhya Pradesh during the last few weeks, and more is expected in the near future. Recent events in M.P. include:
(a) A major training programme in Gwalior on 9-10 April, convened by Jan Adhikar Manch and attended by members of some 30 NGOs and organisations working in the Gwalior-Chambal area of Madhya Pradesh. The drought situation in this area is very alarming, and the participants have prepared district-wise plans of action for the next few months. If you are working in this area, please consider contacting Jan Adhikar Manch in Gwalior (tel 0751-2343407).
(b) Wide-ranging discussions with government officials (district collectors, Gwalior’s Divisional Commissioner, the Chief Secretary in Bhopal, the Chief Minister, and the Secretary Tribal Welfare in Delhi, among others) regarding the urgent need to address the problem of acute hunger and starvation among the Sahariya tribals of western Madhya Pradesh. The central government has sanctioned some funds for this, but it looks like tensions between central and state governments may slow down if not derail the whole process. The matter is being followed up by Jan Adhikar Manch, Dr. Mihir Shah (adviser to the Commissioner), ActionAid, members of the support group, and others.
(c) On 21 April, three 7-member teams from the Gwalior-Chambal area (two teams from SAMBHAV and one team from Ekta Parishad) will be converging to Baran district in Rajasthan for a week-long workshop on the right to work, which includes rehearsal of street theatre and other communication techniques. The training workshop is organised by SANKALP, a local organisation based in Baran, and will also involve several teams from Rajasthan. After that, the teams will be fanning out to different areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to mobilise public support for the right to work. A similar training, conducted by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, was held in Tilonia (Rajasthan) earlier this month, and the teams trained there are already on the road –
zindabad!
(d) A public hearing on the right to food was to be held in Shahdol on 16 April. Details of the hearing are awaited.
(e) A two-day meeting of M.P. groups involved in the right to food campaign will be held in Indore on 19-20 April. For further details please contact Mihir Shah
(samprag@sify.com).
5. UTTAR PRADESH: RTF CONSULTATION, 10 MAY 2003
The Right to Food Campaign is taking root in Uttar Pradesh. There have been local activities in different areas, including Shankargarh, Lucknow, Kushinagar, Hardoi, among others (see earlier updates). Another leap forward is expected on 10 May 2003, when a major consultation on the right to food is to be held in Lucknow, at the initiative of FIAN-UP, a branch of Food First International Action Network. Here are some excerpts from the invitation circulated by the organisers:
“This is to bring to your kind notice that one day meeting is being organized on the issue of ‘Starvation in Uttar Pradesh: Situation and Challenges’.
As you know that in spite of the buffer stock of food grains and available system like PDS (Public Distribution System), incidence of starvation deaths are reported from many parts of the state like Chandauli, Bhadohi, Azamgarh, Bahraich, Mirzapur, Gonda, Ballia and Bundelkhand. Even after intervention of the Hon' able Supreme Court, the situation has not improved.
At the public hearing in Delhi on 10 January, 2003, the friends of U.P. also felt the necessity for Right to Food Campaign in Uttar Pradesh.In this regard the forthcoming meeting is going to be held and Mr. Sandeep Pandaey of NAPM, Mr. Dhirendra Pratap Singh, General Secretary of VOP, Ms. Bindu Singh of Gramya, Chandauli, and Mr. Lenin of PVCHR have given their consent for the meeting.
Venue: U.P. Press Club ( Near Tulsi Theatre), Hazarat Ganj, Lucknow-1. Time: 10 am to 8 pm. Contact person: Sanjay K Rai, A-8 Sarvoday Nagar, Indira Nagar, Lucknow 226016 (tel 0522-2349556).
“
6. YOUR PLANS FOR THE WEEK OF ACTION ON RIGHT TO WORK
Many of you would be planning activities for the “week of action on the right to work”, from 24 April to 1 May 2003. Please let us know your plans (by sending a few lines to right2food@yahoo.co.in), so that we can have a full picture of activities across the country and circulate the information. If you wish to be kept informed of what is happening elsewhere during the week of action, please send us your coordinates (tel/fax numbers and e-mail address), and the name of a contact person. This way we could ensure that you have relevant information in quick time for your press releases etc.
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