Decibels rise on campaign for Right to Food

The civil society movement for a Right to Food law has gone for a drastic redefinition of food security from a mere provisioning of subsidised food to agricultural self-sufficiency, bringing the farmer at the centre of the campaign.

It is no longer about getting 35 kg of foodgrain for Rs 3, but growing enough foodgrain in the country to make this possible. The new definition has also received unstinted support from the Opposition parties.

The draft food security bill prepared by the government confines itself to providing 25 kg of foodgrain to a targeted population.

The right to food campaign had been tinkering with this draft, asking for 35 kg of foodgrain, instead of 25, till it underwent a transformation of sorts, asking not only for universalisation of food subsidies but also elements that would boost agricultural production itself.

They are now demanding living wages for farmers, minimum wages for crops and ban on food exports. The composition of the right to food campaign has also changed. It was earlier led by Supreme Court food commissioner Harsh Mander and a few leading activists like Aruna Roy, Kavita Srivastava and Jean Dreze. Now it is partnering grassroots movements like the National Alliance of People’s Movements and the New Trade Union Initiative. The new leaders include Annie Raja, general secretary of National Federation of Indian Women; Anuradha Talwar, who led the Singur struggle and heads the Paschim Banga Khet Majdoor Samiti; and Madhuri Krishnaswami of Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sammelan. It has gained new sympathisers like agricultural scientist Devender Sharma, who spearheaded the anti-Bt brinjal campaign.

Among the Opposition parties, all have supported the new definition of food security, except the CPI(M), whose leader Brinda Karat has dismissed the clubbing of agricultural issues with food rights as unfeasible.

BJP’s Prakash Javadekar, speaking at a forum of the campaign in Delhi, recently said the farmer’s right to a living wage, or cost of production and 50 per cent of profit, should be accepted. A B Bardhan of CPI said the law should be about the farmer’s right to the price of his produce, as also food for all.

Jean Dreze says local procurement and distribution from farmers would go a long way to boosting agriculture and, hence, it is an important demand.

Abhijit Sen, member of the Planning Commission, however, told Business Standard that the right to food law cannot be a solution to the agriculture crisis. “Food production and distribution cannot be put together under one law,” he said.

The new agenda for a food security Bill submitted by them in an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia last week reflects this change in emphasis. It says “NFSA must be seen as an opportunity to not only address the injustice of large-scale hunger and malnutrition in the country, but also to revitalise domestic food production and agriculture. For this, the Act must deal with at least some of the causes of hunger and provide each and every resident of this country with food entitlements.”

The letter lists distribution of subsidised food as only seventh in the agenda suggested for the Bill. The first few components for the bill the activists want are “an overarching obligation to protect everyone from hunger; promotion of sustainable and equitable food production ensuring adequate food availability in all locations at all times; protection against forcible diversion of land, water and forests from food production and protection of interests of small farmers, especially ensuring that farmers are given remunerative prices for food items”. The letters are signed by Dreze, Roy, Nikhil Dey, Talwar, Kavita Srivastava, Mira Shiva, Vandhana Prasad, Arundhati Durru and Sandeep Pandey.

“Isn’t it obvious that there has to be enough food in the country for there to be food security?” said Krishnaswami and the new campaign leaders.