Up to 1200 children in region suffer from extreme malnutrition
Amravati (AsiaNews) - Large scale malnutrition among tribal children has reached alarming proportions, mandating the intervention of the Bombay High Court. As many as 1,200 tribal children in Amravati, a district in central Maharashtra, have been diagnosed with Grade IV Malnutrition. The High Court has ordered the government to take immediate steps to provide interim relief to tribal children, asking the secretaries of various government departments to assess the situation and submit a report to the court.
In medical terms, Grade IV malnutrition is the most severe state of the condition. Children who reach this level seldom recover.
In an exclusive interview with AsiaNews this morning, Bishop Edwin Colaco, Bishop of Amravati, confirmed that Melghat, a remote region in his diocese, has an acute problem of both malnutrition and starvation among the tribals, who are often illiterate and superstitious, and are commonly cheated by landlords and moneylenders.
The Church, he stated, is responding to the crisis with various 'Tribal Welfare Programs' and Rural Development schemes, particularly through three mission stations exclusively for the tribal population. Mother and Child ("MCh") Programs for the Empowerment of Tribal Women and Children have been established, with medical camps that operate in make-shift tents in the remotest areas of the state. The Church also has educational/vocational centers for tribal girls, though the Sisters who run them often complain that parents are unwilling to send their daughters, keeping them at home to work instead.
Speaking of another religious communities work in the region, the Bishop said, "The justice and peace work of the "Gabrielle Brothers" as very beneficial to the Tribal people." He explained, "One Gabrielle Brother is a licensed lawyer who is involved in securing legal justice for the uneducated tribals who are often taken advantage of." Their work is often opposed by Right Wing Hindu groups.
The Diocese also operates numerous "Balwadi's" (baby-sitting facilities) where children up to twelve years are cared for during the day and provided with meals and basic education. However, Bishop Colaco laments that tribals are often suspicious of Christian missionaries, and in remote areas, the local Hindu majority frequently instigate tribals against the welfare projects run by the Church. In Amravati, right-wing Hindutva groups are active and vigilant against any activity of the Church, accusing the Church of indoctrinating the tribals to Christianity.
In spite of the many "Social Welfare Programs" spearheaded by the Church, Bishop Colaco regrets, that tribal children and women continue to suffer malnutrition.
.png)
16/03/2006
14/06/2005
02/11/2004
