Asian Human Right Commission appeal regarding the death of 28 Children in Madhya Pradesh

                       

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Sahyog, Support in Development about the death of 28 children belonging mostly to the Sahariya community; a scheduled tribe ravaged by malnutrition and diseases related to it. Most unfortunately, the deaths have occurred despite the administration being well aware of the situation. Hunger and malnutrition plaguing the district, claimed the lives of 23 children less than a month ago creating an uproar across the nation. In this regard the AHRC had issued a hunger alert. They also lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission of India (via complaint number 1934/12/43/2012/UC). This Commission had intervened and issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh for submitting an action to be reported within six weeks of the notice.

CASE NARRATIVE:

The spate of malnutrition deaths in Sheopur district in Madhya Pradesh continues to take its toll. Soon after the death of 23 children caused by malnutrition and disease, the district had witnessed the deaths of 28 more children despite the administrative overdrive to contain the malnutrition. The fact that malnutrition is behind these deaths is hard to deny despite all the pretenses being offered by the administration. As a fact check, the Block Medical Officer of Karahal conceded that 395 children out of a total of 950 deliveries in the block were underweight at the time of their birth. Similar are the cases of anemia with more than 90 per cent of the tribal women found to be suffering from it.

The names of the identified victims are as follows,

From Sheopur--
1. Laxman s/o Lalpat Adivasi, age 10 years, Virpur,
2. Sonu s/o Bhole Adivasi, 3 years, Virpur
3. Suraj s/o Mohan Adivasi, age 2 years, Virpur
4. Ankesh s/o Antu Adivasi, age 8 years Virpur
5. Rajni d/o Pintu Adivasi, age unknown, Virpur
6. Gudiya d/o Horilal Adivasi, age 20 days Virpur
7. Satish s/o Jagram Adivasi, age 1 year, Jhirnya
8. Saraswati d/o Jagram Adivasi ,4 year Unchikhori
9. Arun s/o Padam Adivasi, age 2 year, Bandrhar
10. Mangal s/o Rakesh Adivasi, age 2 years
11. Sarnam s/o Halke Adivasi, age 2 years, Dhari ka Sahrana
12. Rani s/o Rakesh, age 2 years, Daulatpura
13. Shippu s/o Rajpal Kushwaha, age 15 days, Virpur
14. Rajkumari d/o Ramprasad Adivasi, age unknown
15. Amar s/o Chhote Adivasi, age unknown, Malipura
16. Mukesh S/o Siyaram Adivasi, age 9 Months, Malipura
17. Guddi d/o Rupsingh Adivasi, age 18 months, Hathedi
18. Lala s/o Sukha Adivasi, age 2 years, Hathedi
19. Rajni d/o Bantu Adivasi, age 6 years, Virpur
20. Gaurav s/o Govind Adivasi, age 3 months, Radep
21. Kishori d/o Shankar Adivasi, age 1 year, Karahal
22. Pawan s/o Ramjilal Adivasi, age 6 months, Radep
23. Monu s/o Shriram Mali 18 months, Gware ka Sahrana, Raghunathpur

From Shivpuri-
24. Ankesh s/o Baisram Adivasi, age 2 years, Sonipura Pohari
25. Nirmal s/o Ramkishan, age 8 years, Sonipura, Pohari
26. Savita d/o Shaitan Adivasi, age 9 Year, Badrwas
27. Gudiya d/o Kidiya Adivasi age 4 months,Badrwas
28. Ramu S/o Khana Adivasi, age 2 years, Badrwas

The horrible state of affairs was confirmed by a personal visit by Vandana Prasad, a member of the National Commissioner for Protection of Children's Rights (NCPCR). She found gross administrative lapses in monitoring children in the areas where most of the earlier deaths had occurred. She lambasted the functioning of anganwadis (government run day care centres for children under six) and found them completely unequipped to maintain nutritional records of the children. She added, however, that the gross poverty and deprivation of the families these children belonged to and the nutrition status of their surviving siblings left no iota of doubt that the deceased children might have been malnourished.

The administration, however, has been trying its best to blame the deaths on diseases. What it fails to explain, though, is how easily curable gastrointestinal diseases like diarrhea could kill so many children if not for their compromised immune systems being malnourished for a long time. The fact is that it is the administrative apathy and inaction in rescuing the tribal families living in the region which have been impoverished over a long period. This is why the district has been identified as a ‘vulnerable’ region and yet there seems to be no significant change in the deaths due to malnutrition. The primary reason for this lies in the lack of intervention by the state authorities. Growth monitoring in this district has been neglected by the authorities for a long period. Further, the health facilities are abysmal with no proper records of immunizations. The prolonged period of malnutrition and anemia has led to a high incidence of anemia and other conditions among the women.

The recent spate of malnutrition deaths in these two districts speaks volumes about the apathy and inaction of the administration. The fact that these deaths followed the death of other children and the consequent outcry as well interventions from the NHRC and NCPRI exposes not only the inefficiency but also the criminal negligence on the part of the administration. It should, therefore, be held responsible for the loss of so many lives and the officers responsible for criminal dereliction of duty should be brought to justice.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the authorities mentioned below demanding immediate intervention to eradicate hunger and malnutrition from the area, ensuring health care services to save the children already malnourished, bringing them back to a normal life and fix accountability for these deaths. The public authorities and officials failing to discharge their duties and saving the children should be brought to justice.

The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to the (1)the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate food and the Advisory Committee on the right to food, (2) UN Special Rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and (3) Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India calling for an intervention in the case.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear __________,

INDIA: Malnutrition kills 28 more children with the administration looking the other way in Sheopur and Shivpuri districts, Madhya Pradesh

Names of the victims:
1. Laxman s/o Lalpat Adivasi, age 10 years, Virpur,
2. Sonu s/o Bhole Adivasi, 3 years, Virpur
3. Suraj s/o Mohan Adivasi, age 2 years, Virpur
4. Ankesh s/o Antu Adivasi, age 8 years Virpur
5. Rajni d/o Pintu Adivasi, age unknown, Virpur
6. Gudiya d/o Horilal Adivasi, age 20 days Virpur
7. Satish s/o Jagram Adivasi, age 1 year, Jhirnya
8. Saraswati d/o Jagram Adivasi ,4 year Unchikhori
9. Arun s/o Padam Adivasi, age 2 year, Bandrhar
10. Mangal s/o Rakesh Adivasi, age 2 years
11. Sarnam s/o Halke Adivasi, age 2 years, Dhari ka Sahrana
12. Rani s/o Rakesh, age 2 years, Daulatpura
13. Shippu s/o Rajpal Kushwaha, age 15 days, Virpur
14. Rajkumari d/o Ramprasad Adivasi, age unknown
15. Amar s/o Chhote Adivasi, age unknown, Malipura
16. Mukesh S/o Siyaram Adivasi, age 9 Months, Malipura
17. Guddi d/o Rupsingh Adivasi, age 18 months, Hathedi
18. Lala s/o Sukha Adivasi, age 2 years, Hathedi
19. Rajni d/o Bantu Adivasi, age 6 years, Virpur
20. Gaurav s/o Govind Adivasi, age 3 months, Radep
21. Kishori d/o Shankar Adivasi, age 1 year, Karahal
22. Pawan s/o Ramjilal Adivasi, age 6 months, Radep
23. Monu s/o Shriram Mali 18 months, Gware ka Sahrana, Raghunathpur

All above from Sheopur

24. Ankesh s/o Baisram Adivasi, age 2 years, Sonipura Pohari
25. Nirmal s/o Ramkishan, age 8 years, Sonipura, Pohari
26. Savita d/o Shaitan Adivasi, age 9 Year, Badrwas
27. Gudiya d/o Kidiya Adivasi age 4 months,Badrwas
28. Ramu S/o Khana Adivasi, age 2 years, Badrwas

All above from Shivpuri

Place of Incident: Sheopur and Sheopuri District, Madhya Pradesh.

I want to draw your attention to the spate of malnutrition deaths in Sheopur district in Madhya Pradesh that is continuing unabated and taking its toll. Soon after the death of 23 children caused by malnutrition and diseases precipitated by it, the district had witnessed deaths of 28 more children despite the administrative overdrive to contain the malnutrition. The names of identified victims who have already perished to malnutrition are given above.

The fact that malnutrition is behind these deaths is hard to deny despite all the pretenses being offered by the administration. For a fact check, the Block Medical Officer of Karahal conceded that 395 children out of total 950 deliveries in the block were underweight at the time of their birth. Similar is the cases of anemia with more than 90 per cent tribal women found to be suffering from it.

The horrible state of affairs was confirmed by the Vandana Prasad, a member of the National Commissioner for Protection of Children's Rights (NCPCR). She found gross administrative lapses in monitoring of children in the areas where most of the earlier deaths had occurred. She lambasted the functioning of anganwadis (government run day care centres for children under six) and found them completely unequipped to maintain nutrition records of the children. She added, however, that the gross poverty and deprivation of the families these children belonged to and the nutrition status of their surviving siblings left no iota of doubt that the deceased children might have been malnourished.

The administration, however, has been trying its best to blame the deaths on diseases. What it fails to explain, though, is how easily curable gastrointestinal diseases like diarrhea could kill so many children if not for their immune systems compromised by being malnourished for a while. The fact is that it is the administrative apathy and inaction in rescuing the tribal families living in the region which have been impoverished for a long period of time. This is why the district has been identified as a ‘vulnerable’ region and yet there seems to be no significant change in the deaths due to malnutrition. The primary reason for this lies in the lack of intervention of the state authorities. The growth monitoring in this district has been neglected by the authorities for a very long time. Further, the health facilities are abysmal with no proper records of immunizations. The prolonged period of malnutrition and anemia has led to a high incidence of anemia and other conditions among the women.

The recent spate of malnutrition deaths in these two districts speaks volumes about the apathy and inaction of the administration. The fact that these deaths followed the death of other children and the consequent outcry as well interventions from the NHRC and NCPRI exposes not only the inefficiency but also criminal negligence on the part of the administration. It should, therefore, be held responsible for the loss of so many lives and the officers responsible for criminal dereliction of duty should be brought to justice.

I therefore urge you to ensure:
1. Immediate interventions to stop more deaths;
2. Immediate steps to make all the ICDS and NRC centres functional;
3. All prescribed entitlements in different governmental schemes for protecting the health of children reach them.
4. All welfare schemes are implemented and monitored;
5. Instituting inquiry into criminal dereliction of duty by officers responsible for these deaths and bringing them to justice;
6. That the administration is adequately prepared to address such calamities in the forthcoming years.

Sincerely,
_______

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minster
Government of India
Room No. 148 B, South block, New Delhi.
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 230116857; 23015603
Email : manmohan@sansad.nic.in

2. Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Chief Minister
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: + 91 755 2441781; 2540501
Email : cm@mp.nic.in

3. Shri R. Parasuram,
Chief Secretary,
Government of Madhya Pradesh,
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh,
India.
Fax: +91 755 2441751; 2441521
Email: cs@mp.nic.in

4. Mr. Dnyaneshwar B. Patil(IAS)
District Collector - Sheopur (MP)
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: + 91 7530-220058
Email : dmsheopur@mp.gov.in

5. Mr. R. K. Jain
District Collector - Shivpuri (MP)
Govermant of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: 07492-2233700
E-mail : dmshivpuri@mp.gov.in

6. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 2338 4863
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in

7. Shri. Harsh Mander
Office of the Supreme Court Commissioners
B-68, 2nd Floor, Sarvodaya Enclave
New Delhi-110017
Phone: (011) 26851335, (011) 26851339
Fax: (011) 41829631
Email: sc.commissioners@gmail.com

Thank you

Hunger Alerts Programme
Right to Food Programme (foodjustice@ahrc.asia)
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)