NHRC rod for Secy as 18 kids die of hunger

The Ghasias had been deprived of their land holdings and were forced to survive on poor quality rice, wild mushrooms and grass, the NHRC noted.

If true, ‘‘the matter required urgent attention by the authorities as precious human rights of the tribals were alleged to have been violated,’’ the commission said.

‘‘The adults somehow survive the ill-effects of the poisonous food but most of the children succumb within two years,’’ the petition of the Peoples’ Vigilance Committee said. All the victims were aged between two and seven.

Sporadic reports of the deaths brought about an independent probe by district officials. The probe confirmed starvation but the government went no further. A team of doctors apparently even candidly reported that the deaths among the community were the result of malnutrition.

The community has not been provided with ration cards or mid-day meals nor have they been given alternative land holdings. ‘‘Ironically, the children of Ghasias were not even covered under the recent immunisation drives launched by the UP government,’’ the petition filed by the committee convenor Dr Lenin said.

Worse, the forest department has threatened to uproot the maize grown around their huts citing encroachment, the petition said. ‘‘It’s clear that the maize had been cultivated for small quantities of food,’’ it said.

Stating that the death of 18 children in 11 months was only the ‘‘tip of the iceberg’’, the citizens group placed before the the NHRC facts of a survey in 43 Ghasi villages.

Around 260 children had no birth certificates, 2,032 families had no ration cards, 106 children were deprived of immunisation while others had been administered only partial immunisation.

The pregnant women did not receive any support from the government schemes while a measly 27 of the 345 deliveries were conducted in primary health centres.