5-year-old dies of ‘hunger’ Latehar, admin on denial

Ranchi: A five-year-old girl, Nimani, reportedly died of hunger in Latehar district on Saturday. On Sunday, a three-member team of activists, including noted economist Jean Dreze, visited Donki village under Manika block of the district and quoted the villagers saying that the girl died of starvation. The district administration has, however, denied any link to the child’s death with hunger.
State convener of the Right to Food campaign, Asharfi Nand Prasad, quoting the findings of the team, said, “Nimani, about five years old, was the daughter of Jaglal Bhuiyan and Kalawati Devi. This Dalit family of ten members comprising husband, wife and eight children aged between four months and 13 years, has no land and no ration card. The family members are visibly undernourished.”
In a press statement, Dreze said during the last few months, Jaglal was working in a brick kiln in Sukulkhut with two of his children. “He came home with some money for Holi, but went back to the kiln and has been away ever since. Meanwhile, Kalawati was struggling to feed her children. She received no support from the government except for an instalment of Rs 500 in her Jan Dhan Yojana account and small amounts of food or cash from the local school and the anganwadi. She and her children survived mainly by borrowing,” the statement read.
The activists’ team mentioned that Kalawati and her neighbours claimed that Nimani was not suffering from any illness. “On Saturday evening, she fell unconscious and died after some time,” the report said.
Confirming the death, Latehar deputy commissioner Zeeshan Quamar said a team of medical officers have been rushed to the village to find out the exact cause of death. He said, “Though I can’t say anything unless the administrative team submits its report, the death is apparently not linked to hunger.”
Denying hunger death, officials of the district said a ‘Didi Kitchen’ is operational within two-and-half kilometres of the child’s village and ration has also been given to the family.
Quamar added, “I inquired from the BDO and was told that 10-20 kg foodgrains were given to the family. Apart from government agencies, these days several NGOs also supply ration to the needy and it is tough to believe that one family was left out by all,” he said.
However, the activists claimed that Gopal Oraon, mukhiya pati (Parvati Devi being the mukhiya) said the contingency fund of Rs10,000 had exhausted and he had formally written a letter to the BDO for release of the second instalment. The DC contradicted and said, “I inquired from the BDO if such an application is pending with him, but he denied having received any letter for funds.”
He said the local administrative team comprising senior doctors from the district hospital have been asked to find out the reason behind the death and also file a report on the health condition of the other family members. “We are expecting a detailed report by Monday evening,” the DC added.
Latehar is also in the list of Covid-19-affected districts with one single case being detected on May 12. Quamar said the patient is asymptomatic and is being treated.