Uttar Pradesh
Water Success Case-2010
Annual Report 2008
Annual Report 2004
Preface
About Us
FIAN-Uttar Pradesh completed its struggle of 10 years to facilitate
realization of right to food in India in general and in the state of Uttar
Pradesh in particular in 2004. The Chapter was developed by a group of
sensitive, concerned and professionally equipped individuals burning with
zeal to play a synergetic and proactive role for the strengthening
activating and supporting the struggle of the victims of hunger, poorest
of the poor, deprived/ displaced, vulnerable, marginalized, unorganised
and voiceless cohorts of our society collected together. They started from
a seed group of FIAN U.P. to coordination and then section and committed
themselves to work for the issues related with these people their pain,
misery, and suffering and neglectful, stone walled, insensitively
degrading responses of the people accountable for ensuring fundamental
Human Rights of Food to these people as well.
The Vision Of FIAN UP
The Mission of FIAN UP
Mandate and Impact
The status of Right to food in the state
We are passing through very troubled times. Governance in the state is
transitory (6 governments in a 10 years term of Uttar Pradesh Assembly)
administration insensitive to such segment of our population and law /
order gone completely haywire. Exploitation, injustice, enslavement,
deprivation of fundamental human rights of food has reached its zenith.
The chasm between 'haves' and 'haves not ' is broadening-neo riches are
obtaining riches; opulence and poor are getting further poor. We boast
Food self sufficiency and enough of food grains in our coffers but 60%
women and children of our country are malnourished and 50% of them
dangerously suffering the pangs of severe and acute malnutrition. Uprooted
from the homes and hearth in rural areas by confiscation of their
cultivable residential land by expanding urban posh colonies have turned
millions into penury, squatter population, slum dwellers and inhuman
conditions. Women and children are at the worst receiving end.
In normal circumstances the common people of the country and U.P. and
Uttaranchal is unaware about the fundamental rights/human rights and
entitlements because of the higher rate of illiteracy, this reduce their
potential access to the entitlements. Another segment of the public has
been compelled to compromise with the situations as the gainful employment
opportunities are shrinking in both organized and unorganized sectors.
Because of the lack of awareness about the legal provisions and
entitlements atrocities against them are increasing and their
vulnerability is increasing.
Traditionally Uttar Pradesh is a agriculture based economy and agriculture
and allied activities are the main source of livelihood for nearly 82% of
the population and out of the total population belonging to farming
community nearly 80% belongs to small marginal and land less farmers.
Forest based tribal communities are migrating in the urban and suburban
areas in search of gainful employment and most of them involved as
contract worker in construction and allied activities and exploited by the
employers or contractors. They are not in a position to exercise their
normal citizens rights and they have almost no access to the minimum basic
facilities and government welfare schemes & programs. There are several
constitutional and legal provision and enactments by the Government for
the protection of human rights to common citizens. Furthermore we are a
democracy and our focus is social welfare and as per Indian Constitution
people have the Supreme power. But in spite of these commitments and
provisions human rights glaringly and ruthlessly pummelled. Infant and
under 5 mortality including maternal mortality rates are abhorrently high
in spite of billons of dollars of foreign aid loan grant has been
squandered away and is still continuing. In spite of bumper crops 60%
women and children are suffering the pangs of malnutrition and 50% of them
suffer from that severe acute level from where death is a day away.
Therefore, to address to this worst scenario, humiliating plight of
marginalized people FIAN Uttar Pradesh has been on the vigil and
contributed its bit in spite of the enormity of the problem and
limitations of our organization.
The structure of FIAN UP
Get Involved:
- Take part in activities
- Be a member
- Support from outside
Contact FIAN UP
FIAN UP at Work
FIAN-Uttar Pradesh completed its journey of 10 years in 2004 and in the
era of one decade, it passed through by many struggle in the form of
campaign, lobbying, public mobilization, training, workshops, fact finding
mission, hotline, urgent action etc. Of course the key concern was the
right to food of the deprived and most vulnerable people and community of
the society. The main activities of FIAN Up in 2004 are as follows:
1. International water fact-finding
This mission visited India 9-13 January 2004. FIAN International carried
out this programme and hosted by FIAN Uttar Pradesh, which has the main
objectives enumerated as to focus on the right to water and its relevance
to the right to food, to raise awareness, disseminate information, better
understanding of ongoing work of the water campaign and initiate multi
level lobbying within UN Human Rights System and release the report during
World Social Forum 2004 in Mumbai. FIAN U.P. organized the visit of Delhi,
U.P and Uttaranchal. Started from Delhi (Sonia Vihar) Muradnagar in
Ghaziabad District of U.P. Roorkee in Uttaranchal and Upper Ganga Canal (Haridwar
in Uttaranchal). All over India the water is getting scarce due to over
exploitation by soft drink bottling plants, industries, irrigating crops
which need more water domestic use and waste in supply. In equity and
gender issues are also linked with water.
The main findings of this mission were-
- Muradnagar feeder canal remains dry since last 20 years and
villagers are handicapped in irrigating their crops. From Muradnagar
concrete pipeline is being laid to pump Tehri dam water to Delhi
depriving millions of cultivators' irrigation facilities.
- Upper Ganga canal in Haridwar, Uttaranchal was found highly
eutrophicated. Another village i.e. Mukarabpur in the state was rural
area village with scanty water supply causing additional workload on
women.
- Another place called Prian Kalhier in Rourkee Dalit village was the
worst suffer of water shortage.
The mission gave the main recommendation and some major ones were as
enumerated below-
- Identify most vulnerable groups suffering from water shortage,
inequity, and gender implications concerning their right to water.
- Guarantee programmes to make safe, equitable and regular supply of
water to everyone.
- Improve sanitation
- Ensure accessibility to water information
- Assess and review impact of projects.
Examine national water policy 2002 and add the concept of water as a
human right, evolve and enforce better water management plan of action
examine privatisation of water and involve affected communities.
2.World Social Forum
FIAN-UP participated in World Social Forum meet organised in Mumbai from
January 17, 2004 to January 19, 2004. Vijay Veer Singh, Balbir Singh
Tomar,Sanjay K Rai,Uadi Pratap Kanchuki with other delegates represented
FIAN-U.P. Mr. Hans Peter from FIAN Norway also attended our bilateral
meeting of both sections. The participants assertively advocated for right
to food at the forum while cautioning the people to look the world with
humanitarian eyes instead of market eyes. The three-member team actively
participated in all the sessions to spread their ideology and to exchange
views to further the organisational mission.
3. Women Rights Day
On the eve of International Women Rights Day a meeting was organised on
March 8, 2004, at DB House, Indira Nagar, Lucknow. The efforts of Lakhpret
Singh from FIAN-UP were behind the success of the event. The middlemen and
the employers dedicated the day to Lucknow's women Chikan workers who are
badly exploited. The participants numbered 55. On this occasion, Awatar
Singh Bahar, advocate, and Azra Khan addressed the meeting. Azra Khan gave
details of the difficulties, miseries and problems faced by the women
Chikan workers, a majority of whom are poor Muslim women. Leaving behind
the children uncared, the Chikan workers have to attend the duty for whole
of the day and that too on such meagre wages, which is unable to arrange
two squares of meal for the family, what to say of nutrition, treatment
and education. While addressing the audience, Awatar Singh Bahar
emphasised on the legal aspects of the problem. He said the government
itself did not implement the government rules. The employers and the
middlemen openly violated the rules relating to minimum wages to the
Chikan workers. Sanitary and health facilities prescribed by the law were
grossly neglected and a result Chikan workers suffered from bouts of
ailments from time to time. He vehemently condemned the role of middlemen
who sublet the work to squeeze every drop of blood of Chikan workers to
maximise their profit.
4. Minimum wages to brick-kiln workers
A delegation from FIAN-UP consisting of Sanjay K Rai and Bipin Bihari,
advocate, met a few members of National Human Rights Commission and
members of Parliament in New Delhi to apprise them of the plight of
brick-kiln workers in Uttar Pradesh. The two day visit on April 21 and 22,
2004, was aimed at securing guaranteed payment of minimum wages to these
workers. Usually, most of brick-kiln workers are migrants from the states
of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Without local roots,
they become open to all types of exploitation and oppression by middlemen,
contractors, sub-contractors and brick-kiln owners, while the police and
administration have an apathetic attitude towards them.
The middlemen fetch the workers from these states on the condition of
attractive wages and facilities. But once they reach here, they are
cheated. Minimum Wages Act has no meaning in the absence of implementing
machinery and the labour department and local police remain apathetic. The
brick-kiln owners or their henchmen indulge in unlawful activities like
forceful confinement, rapes, beatings, threatening, etc. Through its
efforts, the delegation succeeded in getting an assurance from NHRC
members and MPs that the brick-kiln workers would be properly paid minimum
wages. FIAN-UP feels that even if that is done, the workers life of the
workers would be eased a little.
5. Land Litigation
Vijayveer Singh visited New Delhi on May 12 and 18, 2004, to meet the
Supreme Court advocate dealing the case of land conflict in Udham Singh
Nagar district of Uttaranchal state. The purpose of the visit was to make
consultation with the advocate on filing an affidavit in the case and to
discuss the details of further steps to be taken. It may be recalled that
150 landless and poor families of an Ambedkar village in this district
were allotted land by the government but that was grabbed by the strongmen
of the area and the local administration failed to execute court's
judgements due to their pressure.
6. Land Rights to Women
On May 14, 2004, several NGOs met in New Delhi to deliberate on human
rights and land rights to women. Azra Khan represented FIAN-UP in the
meeting. She put the stand that the Indian legal system, religious system,
Hindu Code Bill, Muslim Personal Law, etc., did not favour women as far as
land rights to them were concerned. She noted that land rights were
backbone of human rights in India as a majority of the people depended on
agriculture for their livelihood. The meeting unanimously favoured land
rights to women and resolved to raise the matter at various levels.
7. Employment Guarantee
A large number of landless peasants, agricultural workers, tribal, migrant
labours, ruined weavers, etc., are facing hunger and starvation on account
of unemployment. Infusion of new technology in rural areas and adverse
effects of liberalisation have compounded the problem of unemployment. In
such a situation, the enactment of Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
brought a ray of hope for these unfortunate people. Sanjay K Rai from FIAN-UP
hastened to New Delhi on June 4, 2004, to meet the Rural Development
Minister to convince him about the urgency of implementing the scheme in
the areas we work as these areas were highly undeveloped. Rai got a
positive response from the minister.
8. Collection of First Hand Data (Land Problem in Uttaranchal)
A S Bahar and R K Rai visited Uttaranchal June 10 and 11, 2004 to gather
first hand information regarding landlessness, eviction and related
matters. They visited several villages of Udham Singh Nagar district, met
and discussed with the villagers in person or in groups about the
situation and problems created by landlessness and eviction. Since several
farming companies and powerful big farmers mark this area, the landless
labours and evicted people have to face suppression from them. This visit
generated some information to enable FIAN-UP to initiate remedial action.
9. Meeting on Right to Food
Under Right to Food Campaign, a meeting was organised in Bhopal, the
capital of Madhya Pradesh, from June 11 to 13, 2004, to create awareness
about the programme and to expand the area of work. Several local NGOs
took part in the meeting. Mr.A M Khan, representing FIAN, gave details of
the implications of the Right to Food Campaign. Mr.Khan said that FIAN
worked for human rights, particularly for the recognition of right to food
as one of the basic human rights. FIAN vehemently opposed the view that
the food might be made available to the people only on the exchange of
money; availability of food was a natural human right and it was the duty
of different actors to ensure the same. On the one hand, FIAN was
struggling on this ideological point and on the other hand, it was
stretching its arena by locating relations and interrelations of this
right with other aspects of the problem. On such convictions,
implementation of Minimum Wages Act, right on agricultural land, land
rights to women, issuance of ration cards for the people below poverty
line, etc., came on the agenda. He summed up that Right to Food Campaign
should be visualised in this comprehensive manner.
10. Food for Work Programme
Worried over non-implementation of Food for Work Programme, a delegation,
consisting of Mr.Prabhu Lal and advocates Avatar Singh Bahar and Bipin
Bihari, from FIAN-UP, visited New Delhi from June 24 to 26, 2004, to
discuss the matter with different government departments concerned.
The officials of departments related with the Food for Work Programme were
apprised of the real position of its implementation in Uttar Pradesh. The
delegation expressed its anxiety over the corruption culminating in
scandals, half-hearted implementation of the programme and even
non-implementation, apathy of officials and surrendering of funds
allocated for various welfare schemes, etc. During discussions, the
emphasis was laid on getting the programme implemented in the areas where
it was required urgently and immediately and that the most backward
regions where people were suffering most from natural and man made
calamities were to be given the first preference.
11. Meeting of Villagers in Udham Singh Nagar (Uttaranchal)
In view of the complicated land rift in Udham Singh Nagar district of
Uttaranchal state, the members from FIAN-UP, B S Tomar, and advocates
Vijay Veer Singh and Bipin Bihari visited the area from July 5 to 7, 2004.
The team made intensive tour of the area, gathering facts, obtaining
support of the local people and mobilising the victims to stand firmly
against the injustice. The members went from village to village-organising
meetings and discussions and seeking opinions for further activities.
12. Meerut: Right on Water to Agricultural Workers
A meeting on right on water to agricultural workers was organised in
Meerut by Janhit Foundation on July 25, 2004. U P Kanchuki and Rehana
Begumfrom FIAN-UP participated in the meeting. They presented views of
FIAN on the subject. They explained that water was an integral part of the
food and, therefore, while striving for right to food right to water was
automatically included in the programme. They expressed concern over
various hurdles that the agricultural workers faced while exercising their
right on water.
13. Ration Card to People Below Poverty Line
Ram Bachal and Prabha Srivastava organised a two-day workshop on July 31
and August 1, 2004, at Bahraich. The number of participants in the
workshop was 30. The workshop was aimed at educating the people about
their right to have below poverty line ration cards and ways of overcoming
the problems and obstacles in obtaining them. The workshop was organised
in view of the harassment of the people in getting BPL ration cards.
Mass Meeting on Land Rights
A mass meeting was organised on October 11 and 12, 2004, at Kundesari
village in Kashipur development block of Udham Singh Nagar district of
Uttaranchal. The number of participants in the meeting was 135. It was
organised by Vijay Veer Singh on behalf of FIAN-UP.
The people in this area are suffering from various land problems since
long. During the mass meeting the participants were made aware of various
dimensions of land related problems, and how they could get these rights,
necessary for their survival. At the end of the meeting the participants
were full of vigour and resolved to get the problems solved.
World Food day
On the occasion of World Food Day, a three-day meeting was organised from
October15 to 17, 2004, at Press Club, Lucknow. Vijay Veer Singh was the
organiser of the function. Dr BD Sharma, former Commissioner Government of
India, and Gian Singh, a prominent peasant leader, addressed the audience
in the meeting.
Both the speakers apprised the audience with daunting problems faced by
the people, particularly, by the Indian women peasants in the present day.
While counting the problems of peasants for a long time, it was noted that
interference of multinational companies in agriculture was a threat to
peasants. While Sharma emphasised that this interference was a danger to
the nation, Singh was anxious over the plight of peasants. The speakers
were of opinion that the right to food could not be realised unless the
peasant community was helped by the administration for its uplift. They
were the sole producers of food; hence, they deserved support and
assistance to preserve their dignity.
Mid-day Meal
Under the auspices of FIAN-UP a two-day workshop and a public meeting were
organised on October 22 and 23, 2004, at Baranpur in Koraon development
block in Allahabad district in connection with mid-day meal given to
school children. The function was organised by our member, Udai Pratap
Kanchki. The participants numbered 87. The meal served to children under
mid-day meal scheme lacked the quality fixed by the government and poor
quality meal was being provided to the children. The meeting viewed it as
the violation of right to food to the people. The participants elaborately
discussed the measures to control the quality of the food. The meeting
decided to meet authorities and local people to solve the problem.
Fact Finding Mission by FIAN Norway and Uttar Pradesh
A Fact Finding Mission (FFM) jointly organized by FIAN Norway and U.P.
from Nov.01 to Nov.11, 2004 for Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal comprising
the participants from India, Nepal, Germany and Norway. (See the FFM
Report 2004).
Seeking Help for Landless Dalit Families
In view of the deteriorating condition of the landless dalit families
whose land has been grabbed by the powerful persons, it was necessary to
initiate a special programme. Prabhu Lal and Tej Singh Bhandari shouldered
the task. They made an intensive tour of the area in Udham Singh Nagar on
November 5 and 6, 2004, and met administrative authorities, political
leaders, advocates, teachers, etc., and requested them to help the victims
at their level. They got favourable response from the people they met. On
the completion of the tour, the situation has changed slightly for better
and noticeable achievement may be expected in the long run.
Updating Information
Bipin Bihari, advocate, Vijay Veer Singh and Udai pratap Kanchuki
intensively toured Sonebhadra, Allahabad and Bahraich districts in Uttar
Pradesh and Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttaranchal from December 5 to
20, 2004, to collect up-to-date information regarding Right to Food
Campaign.
In the land dispute case in Udham Singh Nagar, the Hon'ble Supreme Court
gave judgement in favour of the poor villagers. A charged atmosphere has
been built in the area. Similar cohorts of landless and poor people were
organising themselves to fight for their rights and entitlements. Out of
total 150 families, 50 are extremely poor and they need additional
support.
In Allahabad, where FIAN-UP workers were striving since a long time for
the regularisation of mid-day meal to school children centralising on
primary school of village Khiri in Koraon Block, the mid-day meal has been
included in the political agenda. However, for success continued
interventions are required at various levels.
Since a long time, FIAN-UP is making efforts for implementation of a
rehabilitation policy for victims of land erosion at Raja Boundi village
in Mahsi development block in Bahraich district. The means of
rehabilitation suggested included issuance of land, support for
cultivation, compensation and benefits of public distribution system to
the victims. Now old age pension has been sanctioned to 25 persons and
ration card have been issued to 450 families declared eligible under BPL
to enable them to get ration at subsidised rates. Among many families
whose cultivable land was swept away by Ghaghra River, 15 have found
substitute land nearby. Still, it was felt necessary to have a thorough
understanding of the plight and problems of victims. It was also being
felt that a PIL needed to file in the High Court and the Supreme Court and
public hearings needed to be organised to mount pressure on the
authorities concerned.
In Sonebhadra it was found that Hindalco factory at Renukoot, was
extracting fresh ground water by deep bore wells and releasing
contaminated and poisonous water outside the factory. Due to this, over
2,000 people of five villages have been deprived from their water rights.
In addition to this, visit was also made to Lucknow regarding enforcement
of the payment of minimum wages to Chikan workers in old city and slums
areas. Our efforts resulted in inclusion of Chikan work in the Minimum
Wages Bill for unorganised sector introduced by the last Central
Government. A sense of courage, confidence and self-reliance has been
built up in workers who are mostly women and hail from poor Muslim
families.
Food Security
A meeting on food security was held in Varanasi on December 30 and 31,
2004. Keeping in mind the importance of the meeting it was attended by
Sanjay K Rai, Bipin Bihari, advocate, Prem Nath Gupta, Jawahar Singh Yadav
and Dr Raj Kumar.
All now knows the plight of starving weavers of Varanasi district. But the
landless peasants, migrant workers and tribal, etc., in the district too
have the same story. Recently, newspapers published many reports of hunger
deaths. In view of this alarming situation, it was natural to create
anxiety among us. Hence, under the right to food it became necessary to
take steps for food security of these victims facing starvation. A serious
discussion was carried to overcome the difficulties in way.
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