Right to Food Campaign

1. Right to Food Campaign LG-9

2. Right to Food Campaign-The evolution • The right to food campaign is an informal network of organisations and individuals committed to the realisation of the right to food in India. • The campaign began with a writ petition submitted to the Supreme Court in April 2001 by People's Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan. • This petition led to a prolonged “public interest litigation” (PUCL vs Union of India and Others, Writ Petition [Civil] 196 of 2001). Supreme Court hearings have been held at regular intervals, and significant "interim orders" have been issued from time to time.

3. Right to Food Campaign-The evolution • A wide range of activities has been initiated to pursue the issues: public hearings, rallies, dharnas, padayatras, action-oriented research, media advocacy, and lobbying of Members of Parliament. • On April 9, 2002 the campaign organised a nation-wide Day of Action on Mid-day Meals. This event was instrumental in persuading several state governments to initiate cooked mid-day meals in primary schools. • Similarly, sustained advocacy by members of the Right to Food campaign played a major role in the introduction of a large-scale programme of food-based social security for destitute households, announced by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2002.

4. Right to Food Campaign-The evolution • Similarly, in May-June 2005, the campaign played a leading role in the “Rozgar Adhikar Yatra”, a 50-day tour of India's poorest districts to demand the immediate enactment of a national Employment Guarantee Act. • Two national conventions have been held so far: in Bhopal in June 2004, and in Kolkata in November 2005.

5. Right to Food Campaign-The evolution • The second "national convention on the right to food and work" was held at Badu (near Kolkata) on 18-20 November 2005. About 600 activists from all over India participated in the convention. • The inaugural address was given by P. Sainath, who took stock of the food and employment situation in the country. • Parallel workshops were held on the public distribution system, children's right to food, the protection of existing livelihoods, forest and land rights, and social security for unorganised workers. Two series of training workshops were also conducted: one on use of the RTI Act, and on the Employment Guarantee Act. • The last session on 20 November, focused on organisational issues.

6. Right to Food Campaign-The current scenario • The campaign has a small secretariat, which plays a basic facilitating role .The annual convention sets the agenda of the secretariat. • The work of the Secretariat is entirely funded from individual donations in rupees with no strings attached. Most of the work is actually done by volunteers. Aside from a large, floating group of "casual" volunteers, there is a team of committed volunteers who have specific responsibilities and are giving time to the Secretariat on a sustained basis.

7. Right to Food Campaign-The current scenario Advisory Group The secretariat's work is guided by an "advisory group", consisting of one representative of each of the national networks that convened the Bhopal convention in June 2004, as well as members of the former "support group" of the campaign and some "invited members of local campaigns". • A "sub-group" of this advisory group was formed in July 2006 for the purpose of day-to-day guidance to the secretariat. This sub-group currently consists of Anuradha Talwar, Jean Drèze and Kavita Srivastava.

8. Right to Food Campaign-The current scenario Advisory Group

9. Key Actors • PUCL,Rajasthan • Supreme Court • Jean Drèze (central actor in the Right to Food Campaign) • Colin Gonsalves (Human Rights lawyer) • MKSS:NikhilDey, Aruna Roy • Mahasweta Devi (writer and tribal rights activist) • Anna AdhikarAbhiyan • RozgarEvumSuchna ka AdhikarAbhiyan ('Jan AdhikarYatra') • SuchiPande (NCPRI) • Print Media

10. “Key Actors” Map Importance • The functional PDS • Jean Dreze • Lack of information of people • Supreme Court • PUCL • Mid-Day meal provisions before RTF • Print Media • Anna Adhikar Abhiyan • MKSS • State Governments • NCPRI • Mahasweta Devi • AIDWA • Govt. Officials • Colin Gonsalves - +

11. Posters Used Poster on Hungry Children & Overflowing Godowns Poster prepared for the World Social Forum 2004

12. SIMLIPAL MALNUTRITION DEATHS FACT FINDING REPORT • Death of 7 children was reported (The Hindu; 16th May 2007). • The cause of the infant deaths cited was primarily due to malnutrition. • Though all the mentioned govt. schemes and programmes are available at the village but irregularities were found in the implementation of these programmes. • The main cause cited were lack of awareness, irregularities in giving medicines and blind belief prevailing in the area. • Irregularities in the job card.

13. Current Activities Supreme court order of pertaining to ICDS (9th July 2007) . Land, Dignity and Freedom Footmarch: Chauri-Chaura Declaration – to raise the issue of hunger, land, water & sustainable development. Launch of website www.mediaforrights.org ICDS Bolangir social audit- Irregular distribution of medicines arbitrary food distribution Defunct weighing machine manipulation of attendance register Non-opening of 5-7 sub centers

14. Right To Food: Global Perspective • United Nations • Called on countries to recognize the right to food [2002, FAO, Rome, 182 countries approved the "right to food" resolution ] • www.fao.org/righttofood/en/index.html - links to international standards, UN documents, FAO publications and statements related to RtF, as well as an FAO RtF timeline. • www.ohchr.org/english/issues/food/ - [Office of the UN high commissioner for Human Rights] • Center for Economic and Social Rights- • Silent Killer [a film] South Africa's Kalahari Desert • Action Against Hunger

15. www.fian.org FoodFirst Information and Action Network Consists of national sections and individual members in over 60 countries Analyzes and documents concrete cases of violations of the right to food Raises awareness on the right to food among social movements, non-governmental organisations and governments Takes up thematic issues that are directly relevant for the right to food. Policy Research is carried out to improve the understanding of the Right to Food

16. Some International Examples • Fighting Food Shortage in South Sudan by Planting Rice -Action Against Hunger has served beneficiaries in the swampy upper Nile region of southern Sudan since 2001 • World Hunger Outreach Group in Lynchburg - Volunteers prepared 30,000 meals at Timberlake United Methodist Church, are sent to schools and orphanages in third world countries. • The Alliance to End Hunger -Engaging diverse instutitions in building public will to overcome hunger • Institute for Food and Development Policy - Food First - farmers and communities take back control of the food systems presently dominated by transnational agri-foods industries • ActionAid Ghana- local production initiative aimed at increasing domestic food production and reducing imports, expose any corporate abuse in the operational areas.

17. Mid Day Meals The Supreme Court order of 28th November 2001 directed State Governments to start providing cooked mid-day meals in primary schools. Every child who attends a government or government-assisted primary school is now entitled to a cooked, nutritious mid-day meal every day with a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein each day of school for a minimum of 200 days.”

18. A series of follow-up orders were issued on 20th April 2004, to speed up the implementation of earlier orders, improve the quality of mid-day meals, and address various concerns raised in the Commissioners’ reports. These orders include the following: • Timely compliance • No charge • Priority to SC/ST cooks and helpers • Extension to summer vacations in drought-affected areas • Quality improvements • Fair quality of grain The Court directed the Central Government to provide financial assistance of “one rupee per child per school day” to meet cooking costs (October, 2004)

19. Policy Impact • Entitlement feeding (Integrated Child Development Services [ICDS], Mid-Day Meal Scheme [MDMS]) • Food subsidy programmes (targeted Public Distribution System [PDS] including Antyodaya and Annapurna Yojana) • Employment programmes(National Rural Employment Guarantee Act [NREGA], SampoornaGrameenRozgarYojana.) • Social security programmes (National Maternity Benefit Scheme, National Old Age Pension Scheme and National Family Benefit Scheme).

20. NREGA • The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 is a law whereby: any adult who is willing to do unskilled manual work at the minimum wage is entitled to being employed on local public works within 15 days of applying. • Gram Sabhas run and monitor the programme. • The employment will be provided within a radius of 5 km: if it is above 5 km extra wage will be paid. • NREGA Factsheet, 2006-7 Person-days of employment generated: Total 90 crores Share of marginalised groups in total NREGA employment: Women 40 %, ST 36 %, SC 26 %.

21. The Gram Sabha has the power to undertake social audit of NREGA. • Act allows the Central Government to stop release of funds if there is any suspicion of corruption • People can exercise their rights under the Right to Information Act and access records and information on all aspects of work. Payment registers and employment estimates are critical documents. • Works under NREGA : water conservation , irrigation canals , renovation of traditional water bodies, land development, rural connectivity to provide all-weather access”.

22. Mid Day Meals The Supreme Court order of 28th November 2001 directed State Governments to start providing cooked mid-day meals in primary schools. Every child who attends a government or government-assisted primary school is now entitled to a cooked, nutritious mid-day meal every day with a minimum content of 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein each day of school for a minimum of 200 days.”

23. A series of follow-up orders were issued on 20th April 2004, to speed up the implementation of earlier orders, improve the quality of mid-day meals, and address various concerns raised in the Commissioners’ reports. These orders include the following: • Timely compliance • No charge • Priority to SC/ST cooks and helpers • Extension to summer vacations in drought-affected areas • Quality improvements • Fair quality of grain The Court directed the Central Government to provide financial assistance of “one rupee per child per school day” to meet cooking costs (October, 2004)

24. Thank You !!!!!