Raitara Musahar ghetto is in Pindra village of Varanasi district. The AHRC on four previous occasions had issued hunger alerts reporting cases of acute starvation from Raitara Musahar ghetto. The first case, issued on July 17, 2007 was concerning Mulayam Musahar, a boy aged five years. Mulayam is suffering from Grade III malnourishment. After reporting this case the AHRC had also reported two other cases in succession. The case of Maya Musahar, a five-year-old girl suffering from Grade IV malnutrition, was reported on July 23, 2007 and that of Rema Musahar, a two-year-old girl, also suffering from Grade IV malnutrition, was reported on July 31, 2007. Read more about UPDATE(India): Sub Divisional Magistrate threatens human rights activist in Uttar Pradesh …

The AHRC on three previous occasions had issued hunger alerts reporting cases of acute starvation from Raitara Musahar ghetto in Pindra block of Varanasi district. The first case, issued on July 17, 2007 was concerning Mulayam Musahar, a boy aged five years. Mulayam is suffering from Grade III malnourishment. After reporting this case the AHRC had also reported two other cases in succession. The case of Maya Musahar, a five-year-old girl suffering from Grade IV malnutrition, was reported on July 23, 2007 and that of Rema Musahar, a two-year-old girl, also suffering from Grade IV malnutrition, was reported on July 31, 2007. Read more about UPDATE(India): District administration responds to Hunger Alerts in Uttar Pradesh …

The AHRC requests that you to write letters to the local administration, asking them to immediately address the hunger concerns of this community and ensure that all assistance schemes are functioning to prevent further starvation deaths from occurring. Moreover, persons, police officers and other concerned government authorities who have been found to be exploiting and torturing villagers of the Musahar community must be charged and punished. Read more about INDIA: Starving Musahar community face exploitation in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh …

In late January, a mass petition was signed by 95 people living in Dayarampur village who had protested against the lack of government action to halt the erosion of the Padma River. The petition suggested that the government plan to build a 1.5 kilometre embankment, from Dayarampur to Taltali villages, will yield no beneficial result in halting the erosion as such a small embankment will be washed away during the coming monsoon season. Currently, the river has eroded 18 kilometres of river bank, encroaching 10 kilometres into the village of Dayarampur. The government plan also fails to consider the other villages affected by the erosion, such as Sitanagar, Undayanagar, Suryanagar, and others. Read more about UPDATE (India): River erosion continues to swallow lives and livelihoods in Jalangi, MurshidabadUPDATE (India): River erosion continues to swallow lives and livelihoods in Jalangi, Murshidabad …

On September 24, 2005 the District Magistrate (DM) of Mirzapur, Mr. Umesh Kumar Mittal, and the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) visited the Kodwari village, under direction from the National Human Rights Commission, to meet with the victims and discuss their concerns. Soon after their visit, 95 AAY (Anthyodaya Anna Yojana) cards, given to families living below the poverty line, and 10 Annapurna cards (ration cards for senior citizens) were distributed among the villagers. Twenty-five families were also given Rs. 800 each to build houses and two families were promised Rs. 5,000 in compensation. The village was also visited by the Circle Officer and SHO (Station House Officer) of Police. Subsequently, after their visit, the Public Distribution Shops in the area were reviewed and the shops are now open regularly, finally providing rations to those who have cards. Read more about UPDATE (India): Basic assistance provided by government insufficient in maintaining the livelihoods of indigenous quarry workers in Mirzapur District, Uttar Pradesh …