People's Democracy

Call For Debate On ‘Rural Health Mission’

Women’s Delegation Meets PM

A FIVE-member delegation met the prime minister and expressed apprehensions that the proposed Rural Health Mission (RHM) of the department of family welfare could pursue a population control agenda to sterilize lakhs of women especially because of the lack of transparency and the department’s demonstrated refusal to invite a public debate.  Dr Manmohan Singh promised to share the current version of the ‘Rural Health Mission” and to promote a public debate on the proposal.

The delegation representing various women’s and health organisations met Dr Singh at his residence on December 21. The members presented a memorandum as well as a research study, which documented the consequences of the imposition of the two-child norm at the Panchayat level.

The prime minister also expressed strong reservations against the State limiting the number of the children that families choose to have.  He assured that coercive approaches to achieve population stabilisation would not be taken by the government.

The delegation shared with the prime minister the latest data and maps demonstrating the spreading virus of “missing” girls evident in the steeply declining child sex ratios. The outcome of the four-decade old aggressive Chinese population control efforts was also shared. Instead of the target districts of the Rural Health Mission being selected on the basis of high fertility, the members suggested that the selection be based on districts with worst decline in child sex ratios, high infant mortality and female/male illiteracy rates.

The delegation emphasised that dismantling of Primary Health Centre and creation of First Referral Units and ASHA workers will only reduce access to whatever limited health care is available to the people today. The prime minister acknowledged that the content of the RHM is important when the members pointed out that the ministry was apparently only making changes in the language of the document.

The members presented a memorandum as well as a research study, which documented the consequences of the imposition of the two-child norm, the Panchayat level.

The delegation comprised of Dr Vina Mazumdar, chairperson, Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS), Brinda Karat, All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Razia Ismail Abbasi, India Alliance for Child Rights, Professor Mohan Rao, Centre for Community Health and Social Medicine, JNU and Dr Sabu George, CWDS, New Delhi. (INN)