An apeal to save the life of a Dalit girl

Appeal from Savitri Bai Phule Women Forum:

INDIA: Sitara three years and six month old daughter of Mangala Prasad belong to chamar community in village Kakalpur Harahua block, Varanasi may die due to malnutrition
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INDIA: corruption, failure of local administration……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Dear friend,

Savitri Bai Phule women Forum got information from its local partner People’s vigilance on Human Rights. Sitara three years and six month old daughter of Mangala Prasad of chamar community in village Kakalpur, block- Harahua in jurisdiction Cholapur, Varanasi. Sitara may die due to malnutrition if immediate assistance is not provided to her.


Case detail:
Sitara three years old and the youngest daughter of Mangala Prasad in village Kakalpur of Harahua block in jurisdiction of Cholapur is suffering from Malnutrition grade IV and her weight is only 6 ½ kg. Mangala Prasad has six children-
1. Raju 18 years literate up to four standard
2. Shashi Kala 13 years old illiterate, she have to look after her younger brother and sister
3. Shyammu 16 years literate up to three standard
4. Golu 7years old studying in Primary school in class 1
5. Sapna 5 years old not going to school
6. Sitara 3 Malnourished
Sitara health is deteriorating. Now is lying on the bed and fighting for her life. It is at this time the SWF grass root activist Ms. Sushila Devi came to know about Sitara and her family. Currently Sitara is taken care of by the PVCHR and doctors of Pt Din Dayal Upadhaya state hospital diagnosed her as malnourished child.
Sitara was admitted in Pt Din Dayal Upadhaya state hospital from 12th September, 2007 to 16th September, 2007 that is for four day. Due to lack of vitamin she may suffer from blindness. Saline drip and vitamin injection was given and now she is discharge from hospital. Now Sitara is getting treatment at her home all the medicine prescribe by doctor from outside is beard by PVCHR through the support of a social worker Ms. Parul Sharma of Care Hose Foundation of Sweden.
Mangala Prasad father of Sitara belongs to chamar community. Earlier Mangala Prasad have 5-twelth part of bigha of land, he sold his land 18 years earlier for him treatment, as he was suffering from tuber closes. Now Mangala is landless and suffering from stomach disease (Gastric) and heart disease from last 25 years, due to his old age and illness he is unable to do work. Mangala Prasad have Antodaya Anya card (AAY) and he gets 35 kg of ration on it.
Sitara elder brother of Raju age 18 years work as labour anywhere he finds work and earn 60 Rupees per day. In between, he didn’t finds work then he sit for more days.
Background information
Kakalpur Village is 20 kilometer far from Varanasi and Chamar dominates this village and they are landless. The main occupation is weaving and labourer. Primary health center is 5 kilometer far from the village and the condition of the road is not good. Primary health center is 70 meter far from the village.
The Anganwadi (Ms. Asha Devi) and ANM (Ms.Savitri Devi) are appointed in this area. ANM and Anganwadi worker are doing negligence in immunization sit at the center and give immunization to those people who are coming to the center and nourishing food and they are not doing any initiative for prevention. ANM is taking money form pregnant mother for enrolment in Maternity benefit scheme. Village women four month earlier were talking that ANM is bribing then Vijay Bharti grass root activist of PVCHR, but today this women are not ready to tell their name because they are feared that their name will be disclose
The Anganwadi is a government run center where nutritious food and primary medical care is expected to be provided to the poor children. It is also a place where the staffs are expected to keep records of the general health conditions of rural children who visit the Anganwadi. These records are vital because they are also used by the state governments to take policy decisions regarding medical care for rural children.
Anganwadis have also been trained in adopting WHO protocols. The activities at the Angawadis are-
(i) On going mapping of severely malnourished children in village
(ii) Regular weighing of children with involvement of mothers
(iii) Tracking and listing, referral services, home visits by Anganwadi Helpers
(iv) Special visits to the homes of the children discharged from MTC, and
(v) Involvement of community volunteers. Children falling in Grade III and IV of malnutrition are monitored for signs and symptoms of infections and referred to Public Health Centers, FRU or Community Health Centers for treatment.
There are Auxiliary Nursing Mothers [ANM] who are supposed to be working through the Anganwadis to attend to the immediate medical needs of rural children. The ANM and Anganwadi employees didn’t provide any assistance to malnourished children.
Started by the Government of India in 1975, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has been instrumental in improving the health and well-being of new mothers and children under 6 by providing health and nutrition education, health services, supplementary food, and pre-school education. The ICDS programme is one of the largest national development programmes in the world. It reaches more than 34 million children aged 0-6 years and 7 million pregnant and nursing mothers. The government of India intends to universalize ICDS in the near future. Other programs impacting on under-nutrition include the National Mid-day Meal Scheme, the National Rural Health Mission, and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
http://www.unicef.org/india/nutrition_1556.htm
But the fact is 1 in 3 of the world's malnourished children lives in India
http://www.unicef.org/india/children_2356.htm

Law Made by the UP Government:
The chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh Mr. Vinod Kumar Mittal on 22nd December, send D.O letter to every district office. For hunger, malnutrition and starving committee should be formed in every village panchayat. The chairperson of the committee will be village head and secretary village panchayat officer and member will be Lekhpal. He will immediately inform district magistrate if any natural disaster happened, for the immediate assistance of 1000 Rupees.
In 2005 honorable Supreme Court gave decision to stop hunger and malnutrition village Panchayat should provide 1000 Rupees emergency assistance should be given to properly nourish child. In article 21 of Indian constitution have provision of “the fundamental right of living” should be safe. Then also children are suffering from malnutrition.
Sample Letter:
To,
…………………..
………………………
Subject: INDIA: Please take immediate action to save three and half years old girl Sitara
Name of the Victim: Sitara aged three and half years old, daughter of Mangala Prasad, Kakalpur village, block- Harahua district Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Location: Kakalpur village, block- Harahua district Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Respected Sir/ Madam
I am disturbed to see and to come to know about the case of Sitara who is suffering from Grade IV malnutrition in Kakalpur village, block- Harahua district Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Sitara three and half years old and is the youngest daughter of Mr. Mangala Prasad, who is not able to work due to his illness and old age. Mangala Prasad is landless and his elder son work as labour and earn 60 Rupees per day and in this small amount he finds it difficult to find food for his family.
Mangala Prasad has 5- twelth part of bigha and he sells this land 18 years earlier for his treatment of tuber closes and now he is suffering from Gastric and heart disease.
The Anganwadi (Ms. Asha Devi) and ANM (Ms.Savitri Devi) are appointed in this area. ANM and Anganwadi worker are doing negligence in immunization sit at the center and give immunization to those people who are coming to the center and nourishing food and they are not doing any initiative for prevention. ANM is taking money form pregnant mother for enrolment in Maternity benefit scheme. Village women four month earlier were talking that ANM is bribing then Sushila grass root activist of Savitri Bai Phule Women Forum, but today this women are not ready to tell their name because they are feared that their name will be disclose
Sitara and her sister were not enrolled in Anganwadi center that near by the village. and school is also near this center
Now Sitara and her family are taken care of by the local human rights organization, the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights. I am informed that Sitara‘s case symbolizes the living condition of millions of chamar community in Uttar Pradesh.
I therefore urge you to immediately intervene in this case and ensure that Sitara receives immediate medical attention and 1000 Rupees immediate assistance under the guideline of Honorable Supreme Court so; the fundamental right should be saved. On 24th December, 2004 the chief secretary of UP send D.O letter to every district office. For hunger, malnutrition and starving committee should be formed in every village Panchayat. The chairperson of the committee will be village head and secretary, village Panchayat officer and member will be Lekhpal. He will immediately inform district magistrate if any natural disaster happened, for the immediate assistance of 1000 Rupees. But in this district not in a single village this committee is formed.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
Government of India
Shastri Bhawan, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road
New Delhi - 110 001
INDIA
Fax + 91 11 23384918
E-mail: min-sje@sb.nic.in

2. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax + 91 11 2338 6521
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in

3.Mr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister's Office
Room number 152, South Block
New Delhi
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 23016857

4. The Special Commissioner
Samya – Centre for Equity Studies
Secretariat of the Commissioners
R – 38A, South Extension – II
New Delhi – 110049
INDIA
Tele Fax: 91-11-51642147
Email: commissioners@vsnl.net

3. District Magistrate, Varanasi (UP)
Phone: 0542-2502727(O), 2502626(R), 2508585(R)
Fax: 0542-2502754(O)
dmvar@up.nic.in

4. The Country Director
World Food Programme
2 Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar,
New Delhi 110057
INDIA
Fax: +91-11-26150019
Email:wfp.newdelhi@wfp.org

5. The Regional Director
World Food Programme
Unit No. 2, 7th Floor, Wave Place Building
55 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Patumwan
Bangkok 10330
THAILAND
Fax: +66-2-6554413
E-mail: bkk.unescap@un.org

6. Mr. Jean Zeigler
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
c/o Mr. Carlos Villan Duran
Room 4-066, OHCHR, Palais Wilson,
Rue des Paquis 52, Geneva
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9300

7.Mr. Doudou Diene
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9271
Fax: +41 22 917 90502 9179010

8. Ms. Mayawati,
Chief Minister
Chief Minister's Secretariat
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
INDIA
Fax: + 91 522 - 2230002/2239234
Email: mayawati@sansad.nic.in, cmup@up.nic.in


Thank you.

Savitri Bai Phule Women Forum