India world’s new hunger capital

[Fage]

31 Jul 2009

India is fast becoming the hunger capital of the world with one in every four Indians going hungry, according to a report by and Indian campaign group. The study by the Navdanya Trust an environmental organisation says that there are more than 200 million people going without enough to eat. Some 57 million children in India, are underweight because they are malnourished, it found.

Vandana Shiva, who runs the trust, said there were now more hungry people in India than in sub-Saharan Africa. The amount of food eaten per person in India went down from 186 kg per person a year in 1991, to 152 kg in 2001, the report said. "The figures are still declining although food prices have doubled since 2003. Food prices continue to rise and the situation is not going to get any better,"

If this is any indication of an impending food crisis, Vandana Shiva, who runs the trust, told reporters yesterday as she released the study. She asked: "Why is every fourth Indian hungry?"

Concerned about reports that less and less land is being used to grow nutritious and protein rich dal and ragi, Ms Shiva lashed out at the national food programme, the Public Distribution System, which she said covered only 10 per cent of the poor people in the country. "As prices rise the poor eat less. The Union agriculture minister has announced that food subsidy will go up to Rs 50,000 crores by the end of this year. We are spending more to starve our people," she said. The report also criticises the quality of food provided in ration shops, which does not help provide a balanced diet. Instead it is heavy on starch, which can lead to related diseases like diabetes.

The research blames genetically modified seeds and chemicals as the reason for the high cost of food production, forcing poor farmers to debt and suicides.Ms Shiva said that the present food policy was neither helping to address the food crisis nor help farmers. "Studies worldwide show that the hungriest of people are its producers — the farmers. The proposed Food Security Act based on a failed policy is only adding insult to injury," she said. The government has not responded to the report, which follows a United Nations study released in June, which said, according to the BBC, that hunger in South Asia has reached its highest level in 40 years because of food and fuel price rises and the global economic downturn. The report by the UN children's fund, Unicef, says that 100 million more people in the region are going hungry compared with two years ago. It highlights the worst affected areas as Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children

Source:http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/indiaworldhungercapital.htm

[Aeroflot]

BUll... India's a soft superpower. This is enemy propaganda.

[hulaku]

Source:http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/indiaworldhungercapital.htm

You had started a similar thread earlier

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=160313

Any way best of luck.

[CS1.6]

BUll... India's a soft superpower. This is enemy propaganda.

cant agree more.............

[Caoriben]

Vandana Shiva, who runs the trust, said there were now more hungry people in India than in sub-Saharan Africa.
Source:http://www.soschildrensvillages.org....gercapital.htm (http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/indiaworldhungercapital.htm)


thats amazing....

[StinkyStreet]

India’s monsoon, the main source for irrigation for the nation’s 235 million farmers, may be on the lower end of a forecast, a weather bureau official said, likely paring harvests of crops including rice and lentils

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=am1niG9J9PVs

[Ordie]

Hunger and famine has more to do about distribution than production and processing.

There is food in India, the only problem is that much of it gets spoiled on the way to markets. Much of it due to crappy roads.

[black mamba]

..................................

[a_very_ex_STAB]

IIRC India stopped exporting non-Basmati rice a while back. Not a good sign in terms of food production. I have noticed that food prices there seem a lot higher than they did last year. I don't know whether that is due to lower supplies, inflation or both though.

[timetraveller]

That article is on par with what Adux said about Glasgow some months back biggest of sheer callan bright i've ever had the misfortune of reading ..

[[ KOOSHAB ]]

Does this account for the fact that a good deal of the population is vegetarian,
and that all the major religions usually require fasting?

[Ordie]

;4319263']Does this account for the fact that a good deal of the population is vegetarian,
and that all the major religions usually require fasting?

You're rationalizing

[RxOnco]

I hear they've got tons of cattle.

Beef, it's what's for dinner. p-)

[VAMAN]

Mayawati gets SC notice for her Rs 1,000-cr statues



http://www.expressbuzz.com/Images/article/2009/6/29/mayawati.jpg
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/images/trans.gif
Chief Minister Mayawati. (File photo)

PTI (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/searchresult.aspx?AliasName=X8ZOgqjvHfg=)
First Published : 29 Jun 2009 04:15:06 PM IST
Last Updated : 29 Jun 2009 04:33:12 PM IST

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued show cause notice to the Mayawati-led Uttar Pradesh government for using money meant for the state's development for installing statues and sought a reply on the matter in four weeks.

A notice was also sent to Chief Minister Mayawati.

Last night, slamming Mayawati for spending Rs 1,000 crore to install her own statues, Union home minister P Chidambaram said the amount could have been used to provide basic amenities to the people and wipe out poverty.

"She is spending Rs 1000 crore on establishing statues of elephants and herself. Can there be something more shameful than this in Indian politics," he asked."

Of what use will be the statues in UP. The Rs 1000 crore could have helped wipe out poverty of thousands of people, provide basic amenities and education," he said, addressing a meeting to thank voters of his constituency Sivaganga last night.

Last week, Mayawati had received much criticism from Opposition parties for unveiling statues and parks of Dalit leaders ahead of schedule, saying it was aimed at pre-empting the Supreme Court from putting these projects on hold.

Mayawati had unveiled the 15 statues, which included that of BSP founder late Kanshi Ram and her own, and parks at a hurriedly-organised function here on Thursday, nine days ahead of schedule.

This was seen as an attempt to pre-empt the apex court from putting on hold all such projects and a bid to upstage Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who planned to stage protests on July 3 the day Mayawati was slated to unveil the statues besides memorials of dalit icons and open parks.

The petitioner who has made mayawati along with her party and chief secretary of the state as respondents said the state government should be directed to remove the statues of Chief Minister and her party symbol elephant from public land.

Every action taken by the government must be in public interest. The government cannot act arbitrarily and without reason and if it does its action would be liable to be invalidated the petitioner said. Giving details of the ongoing projects of installing the statutes in the state the petitioner charged the expenditure of several crores of public money to fulfil the whims and fancies of an individual is against the principles of natural Justice and fails the test of reasonableness.

The said activity is being carried out as a state policy which is arbitrary and violative of article 14 of the constitution. Sixty statues of elephant were installed at a cost of Rs 52.20 crore at public places by utilising state funds the petition alleged.SOURCE (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Mayawati+gets+SC+notice+for+her+Rs+1,000-cr+statues&artid=vfjv/cwjkfc=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=Supreme%20Court%20,%20Mayawati)

[VAMAN]

Above article is an eye opener. A Dalit leader named Mayawati commissioned her own status worth Rs 10 billion, while people go hungry in the state under her rule.

[[ KOOSHAB ]]

You're rationalizing

How am I rationalizing?
I wasn't saying I denied the existence of other factors

I'm just saying it's a major factor you have to take into consideration which you can't change relatively easily
- as with the greater arabia and the current rise in conservatism.

[acosta]

We will not allow any Indian to go hungry: PM
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, August 08, 2009

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Centre and States should not hesitate to take strong measures including against hoarders and black marketers to check the spiralling prices of essential commodities in the wake of delayed and deficient monsoon.

"In short, the contingency plan for crops, drinking water, human and animal health, fodder, etc should be brought into operation without delay and a close watch kept on availability of foodgrains and prices of essential commodities," he said addressing a conference of state Chief Secretaries.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar and Union Agriculture Secretary T Nanda Kumar were among those who attended the meeting.

Assuring Centre's full support to states regarding any additional assistance that may be required, Singh said "there is need for us to act promptly, collectively and effectively. In no case should we allow citizens to go hungry."

The meeting was called against the backdrop of poor monsoon and the spectre of drought looming large over several parts of the country. The Prime Minister himself said that 141 districts in the country have been declared drought affected but no state has so far sent memorandum seeking assistance.

The Prime Minister referred to the possibility of reduced production of kharif crops having an inflationary impact on prices of food items in the coming months.

"We will also have to ensure effective enforcement of stock holding limits and strong action against hoarders and black marketeers," Singh said, observing that of late, the country has witnessed rising trend in prices of pulses, sugar and some vegetables.

On immediate concerns over monsoon, Singh urged states to commence relief operations wherever there was a need.

"In case the Contingency Relief Fund available with the States is not sufficient, they (States) should quickly prepare a detailed memorandum for assistance under the National Calamity Contingency Fund," he said.

Singh regretted that no state governments has so far send memorandum seeking assistance for drought affected districts, even though 141 districts of the country have been declared as drought affected.

"In short, the contingency plans for crops, drinking water, human and animal health and fodder should be brought into operation without delay and a close watch kept on availability of foodgrains and prices of essential commodities," he said.

Singh said the Centre has recently decided to reimburse 50 per cent of the cost that states would incur in providing diesel subsidy to the affected farmers and provided additional power from central pool to few states.

He said the Power Minister has been asked to extend similar support to other states, which should ensure that the additional availability should be used only for agricultural operations.


Now that PM wants to fight drought, he can mobilize those military planes bought from Russia to man-made rains..

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=a24f4003-bac0-45ed-8a9a-91962bd1d908&Headline=We+will+not+allow+any+Indian+to+go+hungry+Manmohan

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Above article is an eye opener. A Dalit leader named Mayawati commissioned her own status worth Rs 10 billion, while people go hungry in the state under her rule.

Yeah it's one of things that is shocking but sadly at the same time not surprising about politicians. She does seem to be spectacularly 'unsubtle' about her self-aggrandisement though.

[StinkyStreet]

Above article is an eye opener. A Dalit leader named Mayawati commissioned her own status worth Rs 10 billion, while people go hungry in the state under her rule.

every country has some corruption