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PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
SAFMA COMPLAINT TO NHRC REGISTERED AS NO. 1293/34/21/2017.
SAFMA complained to NHRC about the death of 11-year-old girl reported (Indian Express) to have died in Jharkhand’s Simdega district last month, allegedly due to non-availability of ration, had been removed from the state’s public distribution system because their AADHAAR cards were not linked to the new list. While stakeholders and authorities are quibbling as to the whether the cause of death of the young girl was hunger, or malaria or disease, what is most disturbing is the fact that a system meant as a boon for the poor has become a curse. No one is doubting the need for Aadhaar -linked benefit transfers PDS as it stops leakages, but the insensitive way it has been implemented raises the hackles of any rational sensitive person. The news report quoted Koyli Devi, mother of Santoshi Kumari who died on September 28, saying “We had gone to the PDS shop at Patiamba, about 5 km away, some seven-eight months ago. They told us that our names were not on the list. We did not go there again,” she said.......... Koyli said, “I did not go to any doctor with my daughter, nor did anybody come visiting here. We did not have grains in our house, due to which my daughter finally died.”.....We earn our living by selling wood from the forest. One or two bundles would fetch us around Rs 40-50 per day. We used to make do with whatever we could buy from that,” said Koyli, a mother of seven who has now lost 3 children due to various reasons, including illness.
SAFMA held authorities liable to answer the following questions:-
1. In case of persons like Koyli Devi, who live from hand to mouth and due to non availability of AADHAAR, their names are deleted from the ration list, whose responsibility is it to ensure that they acquire AADHAAR card? Has any door to door effort been made at the grassroot level for AADHAAR card enrolment? Specifically in Patiamba, JHARKHAND.
2. There are many poor persons like Koyli Devi who live in abject poverty and do not understand the importance nor requirement for AADHAAR? Is it not the responsibility of the implementing agency/ state authority to ensure they acquire AADHAAR card?
3. There have been conflicting reports, that Koyli Devi did have AADHAAR card, but her name was removed from the state’s public distribution system because their AADHAAR cards were not linked to the new list issued by the government. In such a case who is responsible to ensure the linkage? Further who will be held liable for death by criminal negligence in a case where a person has AADHAAR but state due to criminal negligence has not linked it leading to the death of a child?
4. When a name is cancelled from the PDS list, do not the authorities question as to why a person’s name has been cancelled? Was it due to death/ghost card/ or other? So that authorities become aware of the shortcomings of their own scheme and can take corrective action, before an unfortunate incident occurs.
5. After all this has Koyli Devi been provided with AADHAAR card and more importantly has it been linked to the PDS? If not done still, authorities must be penalised.
Koyli’s statement “I did not go to any doctor with my daughter, nor did anybody come visiting here,” is a sad reflection of state apathy and lack of food and medical benefits. It is important to hold authorities liable, pin pointing the liability of person/authority, for even the poor have the right to live in dignity; unfortunately however, poverty nullifies their economic and social rights such as the right to food and safe water, and right to health, among others.
SAFMA COMPLAINT TO NHRC REGISTERED AS NO. 1996/13/36/2017.
SAFMA has been working in the field of child rights since it’s inception and believe that children’s education and health, lead to leadership critical to a positive social change. Unfortunately in India it is the children, especially disabled children from SC/ST communities who bear the unequal share of the burden of poverty, beginning with the absence or inadequacy of health services, and clean water, leading to "health" poverty and thereby denying potential gainful opportunities of them.
SAFMA made complaint to NHRC about deprivation as reflected in report titled “Paralysed 8year old travels 467km for treatment” (Indian Express). It is sad that on one hand India boasts of medical tourism; while on the other hand due to lack of primary health facilities like X Ray an eight-year-old tribal girl is compelled to travel 467 km to Mumbai from the tribal belt of Nandurbar bordering north Maharashtra to seek treatment for a spinal injury that led to paralysis.
SAFMA requested NHRC to hold authorities accountable, including asking for the percent of budget money spent on health infrastructure, giving breakup (primary, tertiary, super speciality) and amount apportioned for tribal regions of the state, specifically Nandurbar.
SAFMA INVITED TO NHRC MEETING ON “ONE STOP CENTRE”
SAFMA invited to attend NHRC) One Day Meeting on ”One Stop Centre” on 26.09.2017 Chaired by NHRC Member Ms Jyotika Kalra. The objective of the meeting was to review status of implementation of One Stop Centre assessing the existing ground situation and to have inputs from all stakeholders and sharing of best practices. In the meeting senior officials from States of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Ministry of WCD, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Law and Justice, NALSA NGOs participated. SAFMA was represented by it’s President and National Convenor who gave valuable inputs regarding making the process child friendly among others.
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