CNN-IBN met one such child in Shivpuri district, 4-year-old Deepu. For months now, he has been too weak, and too ill to respond to his parents. His parents say all they can do now is watch him die.
Jabru, Deepu's father, said, "The main problem is that we do not know what to do. I do not know what the government is doing? I'm a labourer, how would I know."
The Saharia tribals do have Antyodaya cards which should give them access to cheap foodgrains. But they are unaware of their rights.
Deepu is not the only malnourished child who needs immediate government attention. There are hundreds like him who are dying a slow death and surprisingly the Nutritional Rehab Centre that has been set up the government with UNICEF's assistance is just two km from Shivpuri and is half empty.
CNN-IBN went with Deepu to the Nutritional Rehab Centre, but the authorities there seemed helpless. In Shivpuri district, the local Saharia tribals are the worst hit by malnutrition.
Shivpuri Collector John Kingsley said, "One of the reasons is people's non willingness to approach the system. But we are proactive. The government has made a policy to issue the Antyodaya cards to every notified tribal in this district but still the problem exists, I accept it."
In Bhankri village, Umeda has no time to mourn. Gudda, her third child, died just days ago. She told us how the 7-month-old just wasted away.
Umeda, victim's mother, said, "He did not eat anything for a long time. He refused to eat. I would have certainly taken him if he ate something but he did not eat."
Child starvation deaths are chronic in Madhya Pradesh, but the government is in denial. The 2010 health survey says there were 1 lakh 8 thousand infant deaths in the state, but the government insists the figure was 23,000.
Posted in: General
0 comments:
Post a Comment