Starving Children

Access to healthy and nutritious foods within India has been increasingly replaced by a large supply of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. The existence of the dual malnutrition problems suggests a need for policy makers to support options which measure nutritional output, as opposed to calories, when deciding policies to ensure a well fed society. Thus, the causes of undernourishment and of death from hunger and malnutrition of children are immensely complex, and they cannot be simply attributed to war or natural catastrophes. They are primarily due to social injustice, to political and economic exclusion and to discrimination.

Citizens entitled to assistance should not have to wait until children and youth die before the government takes action. In view of the rapidly crumbling social systems, the government must develop foolproof mechanisms to stop hunger deaths. The village Panchayats should prepare and regularly update a roster identifying the families in vulnerable condition and suffering from chronic hunger, and these families should be given Antodaya cards. This death happened in a state with a plethora of government food, work, housing and health schemes for the poor, disabled and old. The Supreme Court, in an interim order in October 2002 inPUCL vs. Union of India and Othersfixed the responsibility on the Chief Secretary for any starvation death occurring in a state. In Odisha, further order by the Chief Secretary makes the entire administration responsible mentioning the Collectors as the key functionaries.

Also, other Indians are strictly vegan, which means, they do not consume any sort of animal product, including dairy and eggs. This is a serious problem when inadequate protein is consumed because 56% of poor Indian households consume cereal to consume protein. It is observed that the type of protein that cereal contains does not parallel to the proteins that animal products contain . This phenomenon is most prevalent in the rural areas Feeding India NGO of India where more malnutrition exists on an absolute level. Whether children are of the appropriate weight and height is highly dependent on the socio-economic status of the population.

We are also to working to provide life-saving medical support, food and psychosocial support for children. The government, on many levels, has been inefficient in improving the issue.Politics have hindered progress through a lack of effective programs. Inadequate funding has resulted in significant hurdles to solve the issue, and India’s political system must be mended before any real progress can be made toward addressing hunger issues.

Many were already suffering from malnutrition because of destructive government policies and terrible conditions at residential schools. The food crisis of 2008 had led several developing countries to face food riots. Whether or not will we be able to avert the country's food crisis hangs in front of the political parties in power. In an interview, local activist Ajit Panda said that he had approached the state administration to provide the brother and sister with an Antodaya card, which fetches 35 kg of subsidised rice per month.