Further to our Hunger Alert, HA-07-2005 issued on April 11, 2005, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to provide you with the following pictures depicting the current living conditions of the adivasis living in camps under the Bardoli Sugar Factory in Surat, Gujarat. Read more about INDIA: Sugarcane cutters starving and living in abject poverty in Surat, Gujarat …
The Bardoli Sugar Factory, under the Co-operative Societies Act, is governed by the Registrar and provides living accommodations for its adivasi workers. Mr. Manilal and Ms. Shilaben are both adivasis contracted to work under the Bardoli Sugar Factory. Both are landless and live in camps provided by their cooperative society employers. Traditionally, they are basket weavers by profession however, in order to earn enough to live, both became sugarcane cutters. Mr. Manilal states, “Otherwise my family members and I would die of starvation”. Read more about INDIA: Sugarcane cutters starving and living in abject poverty in Surat Gujarat …
MASUM reports that Sundari Sardar, a 16-year-old tribal girl, was married to Dilip Biswas just three months ago. Dilip was a daily labourer working at the betel cultivation. He often went out in search of additional work and income, but regularly returned home having earned nothing. As a result, Sundari and Dilip often went without food for several days at a time and both suffered extreme hunger and malnutrition because of this. Read more about INDIA: Suicide of two young girls who could face hunger and malnutrition no more …
E.M. Lachhmi, aged five, died of starvation on 11 March 2005. She had not eaten for days. At the time of her death, her family had already lost their father to tuberculosis, and two younger brothers to starvation (UP-54-2003). E.M. Shiva died at the age of three in December 2003 of starvation while younger brother Taluk died in November 2004 from illness related to severe malnutrition and sub-human living conditions within one month of his birth. Read more about INDIA: 5 year-old girl, evicted from her home by government authorities, dies of starvation in West Bengal …
On 3 March 2005 at around 8pm, a young girl in the Koilasava village was preparing her family’s night meal. The flames from the burner set some nearby dry leaves alight causing a fire to spread quickly through the hut. The fire then spread to nearby huts, causing complete destruction to 40 of them as well as serious damage to others.? Read more about INDIA: Fire destroys homes and the lives of many families …
MASUM reports that Ms. Bulbuli Paul, a 25 year-old mother of two sons and almost nine months pregnant with her third, died in the early hours of March 9, 2005 of malnutrition and starvation. She was brought to the Karimpur Rural Hospital on the evening of March 8, 2005 complaining of breathing problems and weakness due to lack of food. The hospital did not have the resources to treat her and she was referred to the Saktinagar District Hospital. Further, medical officer Dr. R.N. Biswas noted that the rural hospital only had one ambulance to service the entire community and many times could not transport critical patients. The family however, lacking the Rs. 600/- ambulance fee, could not afford to transport Bulbuli to the hospital. She died shortly thereafter. Read more about INDIA: Pregnant mother dies of starvation in Nadia District, West Bengal …
MASUM has received reports that for many years, villagers in Anahar have been subjected to extreme conditions of poverty and starvation, leading to many deaths. The village has already been reduced to 28 families and 15 more residents are dangerously close to death. Local and state authorities have thus far taken no action in providing assistance, programmes, or funding in alleviating the situation. Read more about INDIA: Entire village community starving to death, South Dinajpur, West Bengal …
On a recent visit to the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, colleagues of Masum were shocked to hear reports of numerous recent starvation deaths among villagers there, about which the authorities appear to be doing nothing. Some of the reports that Masum has received are as follows: Read more about INDIA: Starvation deaths occurring in Murshidabad district, West Bengal …
Staff from the AHRC and MASUM met with the Mayor and Commissioner of Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) on 10 February 2005, two years after the eviction of about 7,000 Untouchables in Bellilous Park which took place on 2 February 2003. Accompanying them were around 50 former residents of Bellilious Park, including men, women and children. Read more about INDIA: Total negligence by local authorities regarding the eviction of approximately 7,000 Untouchables in Bellilous Park …
HUNGER ALERT HUNGER ALERT HUNGER ALERT HUNGER ALERT HUNGER ALERT ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM 22 December 2004 ——————————————————————— HA-07-2004: INDIA: Family forced into abject poverty because of police and army actions INDIA: Poverty and hunger caused by anti-communist operations, forcible confiscation of property, discrimination on the basis of descent ——————————————————————— DearContinue Reading INDIA: Family forced into abject poverty because of police and army actions
