Malnutrition and Kolam Tribals Starvation PIL
Malnutrition Amongst Kolam Tribals :
The Nagpur Divisional Bench of Mumbai High Court is siezed of the matter of the difference between
ground level reality and the Action Taken Reports filed in the High Court, concerning Kolam tribal
deaths and lakhs of malnutrition cases being reported by the state health authorities.
Starvation, malnutrition and hidden hunger amongst tribals and indebted farmers, are issues that
are of prime importance even as the Central Congress government is considering ways of opening up
the food retail sector to foreign investment and global logistics experts in food retail.
Public interest litigation, regarding tribal families malnutrition cases, amongst tribals, deserve
attention by the state health authorities, not only in Maharashtra but also in West Bengal, Orissa,
Jharkhand and Gujarat.
Somehow, the media gets awakened to the issue of malnutrition only when there are a few starvation
deaths.
Tribals are being asked to walk as much as 140 kilometres to avail of state government provided
food and basic nutrition.
There is an urgent need to review if the Indian Agriculture Ministry is pursuing policies and
global trade agreements that are causing local food insecurity amongst large sections of Indian
population like children, women and tribals, who do not have adequate health protection.
The idea of lokavidya is a result of long struggles by a large number of people,
over more than 15-20 years, through their engagement with people's movements.
The organisations one can specifically name are PPST Foundation, Mazdoor Kisan Niti
Group, and Nari Hastkala Udyog Samiti, which engaged with questions of knowledge,
from an emancipatory out look, and which developed processes, like Congresses of
Traditional Sciences and Technologies of India, the unity of peasants, artisans,
women, and adivasis as swadeshi samaj, the carrier of new light for a new world,
and Nari vidya as the ultimate basis, for women to find their feet in this world,
and a possible new one.
Lokavidya belongs to ordinary life.
This is life without condition, and therefore, it is not possible to privatise
lokavidya, not even by the mightiest of the empires.
... lokvidya engages with questions of knowledge, from an emancipatory framework, dedicating itself to the unity of peasants, artisans, women and adivasis as swadeshi samaj, the carrier of new light for a new world ...- Sunil Sahasrabudhey