Feasting and hunger

 My column in Mathrubhumi, published on August 30

 

 

The season for feasting and festivities is upon us.  But this year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be subdued.  This provides us with an opportunity to think about those who are literally going hungry every night because of the pandemic.

 

In some ways, there is nothing new in this. There are millions of poor people in India who can barely afford one decent meal. But recent studies are painting an alarming picture of the extent to which hunger is spreading since the pandemic, and how women and children in particular are being affected.

 

According to a recent report by Oxfam, an estimated 100 million people in India are facing what it calls "food distress".  In other words, these millions are literally without anything to eat. The situation is especially acute for women, and women-headed households.

 

These statistics are particularly distressing because since 2012, India had begun to make some progress in dealing with malnutrition, especially amongst children, and hunger.  Many programmes were launched and at least in the better-administered states, the results were visible amongst children and women.

 

The largest number of malnourished children in the world live in India and on the Global Hunger Index 2019, India's rank was 102 out of 117 countries. This is truly shameful, given how often our leaders keep talking about making this country into a global economic giant.  But in truth, while some Indians are being recognised around the world for the riches they have accumulated, millions of Indians, especially the most vulnerable, continue to remain hungry.

 

Apart from children, this hunger crisis has also hit women in ways that we need to recognise.

 

Recent data released by the government reveals that women's share in MNREGA by way of total number of person-days has declined. It is currently at an eight year low.  Women constitute 49 per cent of MNREGA workers.  Yet today, they are getting less work, and therefore earning less than they used to just four years ago.  These figures are an average for India.  In a state like Kerala, for instance, women's share is 91 per cent, the highest in the country.

 

This decline in women's share in work is partly explained by the return of male migrant workers to their villages.  With no other work available, many of them have enrolled in MNREGA. As a result, women would have been displaced.

 

But the consequences of this are far greater than just the wages that these women have lost.  When a woman works, and can bring in income to her family, she enjoys better status.  She is recognised as contributing to the welfare of the family, although sadly, the unpaid work that all women do to take care of members of their families is never counted. 

 

When she loses even these small amounts that she is able to earn, she becomes far more vulnerable, especially if she lives in an abusive relationship.  Apart from being trapped by tradition, that expects women to suffer and accept anything that comes their way in the marital home, including violence, she is unable to assert her rights as she has lost any semblance of economic independence.

 

When women lose paid work, there is also a direct impact on children.  Countless studies have established that women in paid work use their income to feed their families, especially their children.  In fact, women neglect their own health and nutrition in the belief that the children, and their husbands, must be looked after first.

 

The country today faces its most serious health challenge with the Covid-19 pandemic. But apart from health, we must not forget the long-term consequences of this crisis that include pushing millions more into poverty.