"Failure" to link aadhaar with BPL ration card main reason for Karnataka Dalit family starvation deaths: PUCL report

The hut in which Nagamma family lives

By A Representative
A People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka, investigation has revealed that Jharkhand is not alone where starvation deaths have taken due to lack of the aadhaar document. A report based on the investigation by Narasimhappa TV was prepared following a news story citing opposing claims of the reasons for three deaths in a Dalit family in a village in Gorkana district in July this year.
The PUCL report said, the family of Nagamma Ganpathi Maru Mukhri, a widow, and four children, have a below poverty line (BPL) ration card. The three of her four sons who died are Narayan Maru Mukhri, Subbu Maru Mukhri and Venkatarammna Maru Mukhri.
The family is entitled to 35 kilos of rice every month, but, says Nasamhappa’s report, “The last time they got ration on the ration card was on November 22, 2016 and December 17, 2016, as mentioned in the ration card”, and the “quantity they got was 28 kilos rice, 6 kg wheat, and 1kg sugar in six months.”
“On March 27, 2017, again, 35 kilos of rice were provided. However, they didn’t get any ration for six months this year, except in the month of March, on the grounds that they have not linked their ration card with their aadhaar card”, the report says.
The PUCL decided to undertake the investigation following the claim by the district commissioner that the deaths took place because of “excessive consumption of alcohol by the three victims”.
Noting that Nagamma and two of the four sons of in the family did not have aadhaar cards, PUCL says, Nagamma admitted, she had a ration card and would get monthly ration, adding, she never faced problem with getting food, when they failed to get job as daily wagers.
“However, the problem arose when the Food and Civil Supplies Department demanded that aadhaar card and ration card should be linked, as she and her two sons didn’t have an aadhaar card; therefore, they faced the problem of starvation, as during this time they were not receiving the daily wages, too”, the report states.
“She mentioned that the death of three sons was due to the irresponsibility and negligence of the Food and Civil Department, Kumuta Taluk, and the Gram Panchayat authorities, and further mentioned that the reason for the death was that they had not been provided ration facilities to the family for about seven months”, the report says.
Says the PUCL report, a local NGO Mahaganpathi Samaj Seva Sangh, on receiving information about the death of two within six days, on coming to know that the family had no food to eat, decided to provide rice, toor daal, coconut, potato, wheat and other items to it.
PUCL quotes Kumara Jeeva Hatigi, member of the NGO, as saying that he knew at least one of the deceased, Narayanna Maru Mukhri, who “was not an alcoholic person, though he was epileptic.”
Quoting the local ration shop owner, the report states, he admitted that Nagamma’s name was “not mentioned” in the list of ration recipients, “and the reason given was that the ration card and aadhaar card had not been linked.”

The food inspector of Kumuta Taluk said, the aadhaar card “had not been provided by the victims or their mother.” And the tehsildar “shockingly stated that ‘If the victims were really starving,then they could have approached dharmchatra (the place where the food is served on charity)’.”

Comments

'Threat to farmers’ rights': New seeds Bill sparks fears of rising corporate control

By Bharat Dogra As debate intensifies over a new seeds bill, groups working on farmers’ seed rights, seed sovereignty and rural self-reliance have raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation. To understand these anxieties, it is important to recognise a global trend: growing control of the seed sector by a handful of multinational companies. This trend risks extending corporate dominance across food and farming systems, jeopardising the livelihoods and rights of small farmers and raising serious ecological and health concerns. The pending bill must be assessed within this broader context.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Why economic war waged by US has created the situation for Iran's turmoil

By Vijay Prashad Iran is in turmoil. Across the country, there have been protests of different magnitudes, with violence on the increase with both protesters and police finding themselves in the morgue. What began as work stoppages and inflation protests drew together a range of discontent, with women and young people frustrated with a system unable to secure their livelihood. Iran has been under prolonged economic siege and has been attacked directly by Israel and the United States not only within its borders, but across West Asia (including in its diplomatic enclaves in Syria). This economic war waged by the United States has created the situation for this turmoil, but the turmoil itself is not directed at Washington but at the government in Tehran.

Zhou Enlai: The enigmatic premier who stabilized chaos—at what cost?

By Harsh Thakor* Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 until his death and as Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1958. He played a central role in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over five decades, contributing to its organization, military efforts, diplomacy, and governance. His tenure spanned key events including the Long March, World War II alliances, the founding of the PRC, the Korean War, and the Cultural Revolution.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Search This Blog