People's Democracy

 Women Thunder against Price Rise;

For Universal Right to Food Security

                                                                                                    Sudha Sundararaman

MORE than a thousand women, belonging to the most marginalised and impoverished sections of people, blockaded parliament gates in anger on August 9 - the anniversary of Quit India Day, demanding  that the UPA-2 government should contain price rise, and guarantee universal food security, otherwise it should quit office.

These toiling women had come from far off states, like Bihar and Jharkhand; from the nearby states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal, and from the capital city of Delhi under the banner of AIDWA, gathered at the lawns of Vitthalbhai Patel House in New Delhi as part of a sangharsh sabha organised by the AIDWA to express their strong resentment of government policies, and for their right to a life free from hunger, poverty and exploitation.

AIDWA vice president, Subhashini Ali, who presided over the meeting, along with Kirti Singh and Jagmati Sangwan, welcomed the participants, and emphasised the adverse impact of back breaking price rise on poor and middle class men and women. She said that a food security act that increases prices of essential commodities, reduces the BPL numbers and the ration supply, is a cruel joke on poor women. She condemned the UPA-2 government for increasing fuel prices by 15 times in the last two years, which had a cascading impact on prices.

AIDWA general secretary, Sudha Sundararaman, while placing the resolution against price rise and for a universal right to food security, reiterated how the policies of the Congress led UPA such as weakening of the public distribution system, refusal to ban future trading in agricultural commodities and lack of strong action against hoarders and blackmarketeers were squarely responsible for the relentless rise in prices. She pointed out that the huge amounts pilfered through scams, the massive reserves of black money, and the tax concessions given to the corporates would provide more than enough resources to ensure food security for all. All it needed was political will. She opposed division of the poor through APL/BPL norms, and the introduction of cash transfers which would totally undermine the PDS, and affect the agrarian economy further. She placed the five point charter of demands, after which the resolution was adopted unanimously.

VOICES FROM

THE STATE

Delegates from the states roundly condemned the policy prescriptions and functioning of the UPA government with regard to food security, and the PDS.

SoniaVerma from Delhi questioned the efficacy of cash transfers when so much corruption was rampant in widow pensions, and distribution of money for school uniforms. A survey of 731 women done in Delhi showed that women were most concerned about prices skyrocketing upwards, which would undercut their ability to buy food grains if cash was given.

Ameena Khatoon from Uttar Pradesh exposed the BPL census norms, describing how the questions were designed to make sure that most of the poor would get left out of the count. She ridiculed the government’s approach which is as though they are allocating money from their pockets and also its attitude towards the democratic rights that we are fighting for. Sharda Devi from Bihar objected to the cuts in allocation of kerosene through the PDS, and wanted to know how their children could study, and how they would light their choolahs if the kerosene quota was cut and the prices increased.

Pointing out the need for a ration system to regulate the market, and ensure fair prices for farmers, Chandrakala from Rajasthan described how onion prices fell to Rs 2/- a kg for the producers,  whereas the tradesmen were charging more than Rs 20/- per kilo. A young girl, Pooja from Haryana was disgusted by the government’s callous approach to the differently-abled. She narrated how she and many like her, were unable to get BPL cards despite their disability, and condemned the government’s refusal to implement the Supreme Court order of 2003 upholding their BPL entitlement. Irmani from Jharkhand, and Sunita from Uttarakhand, also spoke demanding stern action against hoarders, and for a stronger and more effective PDS.

HIGHLIGHTING

THE ISSUES

Dr Jayati Ghosh, professor of Economics, JNU, who spoke about the direct cash transfer scheme being envisaged, said that the government was well aware that women are eating 15 per cent less than what they consumed 20 years back, and the malnourishment situation here was worse than in sub Saharan Africa. Moreover, gender differentials in a patriarchal society continued to affect women’s food intake adversely. Yet the government was planning to introduce cash instead of food in the food security bill, which would deprive and impoverish poor families even further. She pointed out that comparisons to other countries were invalid because basic food rights were supplemented with cash there, whereas here the objective was to replace existing food grain distribution with cash to reduce the subsidy amount. She emphasised the need for a universal PDS in our country.  She congratulated the AIDWA women for their militant protest, and expressed support for their struggle.

Brinda Karat, Rajya Sabha MP, accompanied by T N Seema, and Jharna Das, came straight from the struggle within the parliament on the CWG scam, to deliver her special address. She welcomed all those who had come to express their outrage at government policies. Lambasting the Congress and the BJP for their support to neo liberal and corporate policies that were leading to unbearable price rise, she pointed out that the two parties were only engaged in shadow boxing. She ridiculed the government’s claim that they did not have enough money, when crores of rupees were getting blatantly siphoned off through 2G, CWG and other such scams, and charged the government with taking votes from the people to represent corporate interests.

She criticised a BPL census that had no place for widows, handicapped, dalit, adivasi, or unorganised sector women, and said that though statistics show that women’s employment has reduced, the government was unwilling to recognise poverty as a problem. Though foodgrains are rotting in the godowns, there is no food for the poor. She declared to the UPA-2:  ‘sabko ration do, varna gaddi chodo’.

Leaders from fraternal organisations – Suneet Copra from All India Agricultural Workers’ Union, Vijoo Krishnan from the All India Kisan Sabha, Ranjana and Sindhu from Centre of Indian Trade Unions and All India Working Women’s Co-ordination Committee, Pushpender Tyagi from Democratic Youth Federation of India, and representatives from women’s organisations also extended their support to the sangharsh sabha. 

MASS

PROTEST

Motivated by the speeches, the Sangharsh sabha then moved into a militant demonstration in which women gave vent to their fury against the UPA-2 Government. The women converged near parliament braving police lathis, throwing down the barricades, shouting slogans, denouncing government and demanding their rights. They threatened to breakdown the gates if their demands were not fulfilled.

A delegation comprising TN Seema, (Rajya Sabha MP) Sudha Sundararaman, Ashalata, Jagmati Sangwan, Sumitra Chopra and Tapasi Praharaj met the food and civil supplies minister, K V Thomas and handed over their memorandum, along with the demands charter. The minister held a long discussion, and accepted that cash transfers would not be allowed to replace the distribution of food grains in the PDS.

The women resolved to take forward their struggle and strengthen women’s voice across the country against price rise and for universal right to food security.  

Charter of Demands

1.     Food Security is a universal right, and this should be guaranteed by law. Targeting and exclusions under false categories must be given up entirely. The central government should provide the necessary resources for the implementation of the food security act.

2.     The PDS should be strengthened, with a return to universal coverage. There should be provision for a minimum of 35 kg foodgrains per household per month at Rs 2 per kg. Items like edible oil, pulses etc should be included within the PDS. There should be no cuts in ration quotas for the states. 

3.     The fraudulent APL/BPL categories for PDS should be removed. Implementation of health, education, pension, and all other anti-poverty government schemes should not be linked to BPL categories. 

4.     Direct cash transfers should not be allowed to replace distribution of essential commodities through the PDS.

Strict measures should be taken to prevent corruption in the delivery mechanism of the PDS and other food security schemes.