The last of the huts were destroyed in January 2005 by the Maharashtra. State Farming Corporation (MSFC) employees. Since the crops and huts of the adivasis were destroyed in the previous cropping season, the adivasis had to look for their livelihoods elsewhere. The MSFC employees took advantage of this and destroyed the majority of huts while the adivasis were working outside the area. The community was unable to put up the huts again because they were busy working as cultivators in other fields. This was not the case earlier, before the corporation destroyed over 1,000 acres of their farming land. Previously the adivasis could easily provide foodstuff for their entire community with their own food stuff. During this season however, only 16 people could cultivate their land. Further, the crop supply was under frequent threats by officials, and once by police. However, the adivasis managed to protect their crop. Read more about INDIA: Adivasi community unable to grow food, asserts their right to land in Maharashtra …

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 …

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 …