PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 1st April, 2016

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about the deplorable condition of the inhabitants of the drought hit districts of the Bundelkhand region in the States of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh where, due to the scarcity of food, the people are living in distress and starving to death.

The Commission has observed that the media reports, carried on the 28th March, 2016, exposing the plight of the poor inhabitants of the Bundelkhand region, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights to life, equality and dignity of the people. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries, Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh calling for detailed reports within four weeks.

Reportedly, people are forced to each chappatis either with salt or potatoes in the Bundelkhand region which spreads across the States of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The crops of gram and pulses have failed due to no rain. As per report, the taste of pulses is a memory for the people. Most of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribes and they do not have their own land. There are no irrigation facilities and the crops depend only on rain. Even the schools are not functional and the students are being deprived of the mid-day meal. There is no work for the villagers under MNREGA.

Earlier in the month of December, 2015 also, the media had reported that the people in the drought hit Bundelkhand region are forced to eat chapattis made of grass.

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