Save the children: PM Narendra Modi should launch child-centric drought relief measures with immediate effect

By Kailash Satyarthi
This year, the absolute dearth of rainfall has resulted in the longest spell of drought in over 100 years. Approximately 33.6 crore people have been affected in 254 districts. More horrifying is the figure of 16.3 crore children, who are being subjected to this calamity, making them even more vulnerable.

I am completely shaken as i write this because news of the death of 2 young siblings in Adilabad district of Telangana just reached me. The children, aged 12 and 8 respectively, succumbed to thirst and breathed their last while waiting, desperately, for their mother to return with some water.

They were on their way to a wedding in a nearby village and on their failure to arrive at the destination; their relatives began a search operation for them. The mother was found unconscious in the forest, with an empty water bottle by her side.

Saubhagya, a young girl of 9 was recently given up as a devdasi by her mother and maternal uncle, as they could not provide her with drinking water at home. This tradition of dedicating girls to Yellamma, the Goddess associated closely with devdasis is unfortunately on a rise in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and states worst affected by the drought.

Despite the extent of the problem, many of the affected states have not declared themselves as hit by drought. This has not only prevented appropriate government funds from being directed to such areas, especially for the care and protection of children, but also hindered other disaster management response mechanisms to be initiated for emergency relief.

The present situation has pushed entire villages into extreme poverty and vulnerability due to the failure of crops and industry. In Marathwada district of Maharashtra, more than 1,430 farmers have committed suicide since January last year, leaving behind over 3,500 children to fend for themselves and their mothers. This tale of sadness and sorrow has grown beyond proportion and needs to be heeded to, urgently.

I have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi drawing his attention to the plight of our children and sharing with him my concerns. Forty per cent of India’s children have been severely affected by the drought, which is perhaps the worst ever.

Our children face heavy risks in terms of early childhood care and development. Better health contributes not only to improved childhood but also the social well-being of the child in the future and the nation. Children play a crucial role in the development of any country’s human capital, and more importantly so in the Indian context since 41% of our population comprises under-18s.

Their health and protection, thus, cannot be neglected, on human or economic grounds. However, unfortunately, the situation is worsening by the day, and the lack of preparedness and political apathy are only adding to the aftermath.

According to a survey conducted by a civil society organisation in the Bundelkhand region, 24% households admitted to willingly pushing their children into labour between March and November 2015. Additionally, 22% of the households disclosed that the drought has forced them to pull their children out of school.

Media reports suggest that child marriage has also increased rampantly in these drought affected states. With our intervention, recently a 14-year-old girl was saved from being married off in Hastur Tanda village of Maharashtra. In fact, many girls between the age group of 3 and 15 years in the village were being forcefully married off this season. Similarly, in district Yadgir, Karnataka 10 child marriages were prevented of late.

In answer to a question raised in the Parliament in March 2016, ministry of home affairs quoted the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data of state-wise missing children which suggests that more than half of these children in India come from these 10 drought-hit states. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the two most drought-affected states comprise one-fourth of the country-wide missing figure. The drought is in its fourth year now and these numbers are only going to increase in the coming months.

It is, therefore, a must that we declare this drought a national emergency with immediate effect. In addition, it is imperative that the government takes speedy measures to assess and analyse the effects of drought on children and ensure that no child in the affected areas is forced into child labour, bonded labour, child marriage, or is trafficked, or compelled to leave school.

It is essential that our parliamentarians come together for a day of discussions, focussed exclusively on the need to protect and prioritise our children. It is not too much to ask.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) needs to mandate the state bodies to formulate special agencies with an explicit framework to monitor and assess the situation of children in the affected states. The Cabinet needs to deliberate on the prevention of further exploitation of children and initiate child-centric drought relief measures with immediate effect. There are large amounts of unspent CSR money alongside roughly Rs 3,600 crore with PSUs. This money should be utilised to plan and execute relief operations.

I understand the prime minister, who is also ex-officio chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority, will be swift to act and prioritise children in all the relief and rehabilitation work. He has all our support.
We cannot afford to neglect our children. They cannot be the future we want, if they do not survive the present.

(Kailash Satyarthi is a child rights activist and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014.)