FIAN
Belgique (
www.fian.be
- ONG défend activement le droit à se nourrir. Indépendante des gouvernements, partis politiques et groupes religieux, FIAN combat la faim sur tous les continents) lance un cri d’alarme en faveur la communauté des tisserands de Sircilla (Andgra Pradesh) qui souffre de la faim et plusieurs tisserands se sont suicidés car ils n’avaient plus les moyens de nourrir leurs familles ni de rembourser leurs dettes. D’autres habitants de Sircilla étaient morts de maladies liées à de longues périodes de sous-alimentation. Actuellement, près de 12.000 familles dépendent du tissage pour se nourrir à Sircilla. Elles se sont gravement endettées en contractant des emprunts pour faire marcher leurs métiers à tisser électriques ou pour faire face à leurs dépenses ménagères. Ayant de bas revenus, elles ne peuvent rembourser leurs emprunts et se retrouvent prises au piège du cercle infernal de la dette. La situation des femmes est très grave. Quand les hommes se suicident parce qu’ils n’ont pas d’emploi et qu’ils ont des dettes, les femmes de la famille qui n’avaient jamais exercé de travail rémunéré auparavant n’ont pas d’autre choix que d’aller travailler dans l’industrie du beedi. Celles qui roulent les beedis gagnent entre 1.000 et 1.500 roupies (de 16 à 24 euros) par mois. Cela ne suffit pas pour nourrir la famille et les femmes sont confrontées à la faim et à la mort par inanition. A Sircilla, ce sont 5.000 veuves qui travaillent dans l’industrie du beedi.
La pression internationale a du poids. C’est pourquoi FIAN demande d’écrire aux autorités d’Andra Pradesh et de l’
Inde pour que le gouvernement prenne les mesures qui s‘imposent, à court, moyen et long terme pour garantir le droit à l’alimentation.
Voici le texte de la lettre type à envoyer à
Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,
'C' Block, 6th Floor, AP Secretariat
Hyderabad 500016, Andhra Pradesh
INDIAFax: 0091- 40-23452498
Dear Mr. Chief Minister,
I recently heard the shocking news about the suicides and hunger deaths in the weaver community in Sircilla town in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. On 2nd October, two weavers Galipalli Laxman (55) and P. Raju (35), committed suicide in Sircilla. On 1st October, four people in Sircilla died due to illness resulting from under nourishment. As per our information the two weavers committed suicide because they could not feed themselves and their families due to the downturn in the handloom sector. The deaths due to hunger are related to the lack of food and to under nourishment of the weavers who have very low income and are only able to eat one meal per day. Almost none of the weavers have the Antyodaya Anna Yogana (AAY) ration cards by which they could get subsidised grains from the Public Distribution System (PDS). The government paid compensation to some of the victims of hunger deaths but mere compensation does not improve the situation of the weavers and their families.
Sircilla town is a major power loom weaving centre. Around 15, 000 families depend on weaving in Sircilla to feed themselves. Over time, the skilled weavers developed unique designs and a niche market for their products. However, their situation deteriorated in the 1990s when the government vigorously pursued policies of liberalisation. With a thrust on increasing production, power looms were encouraged to upgrade technology, funds were allotted for upgrading and subsidies were provided to import looms. This approach failed since policy-makers had not looked at the issue comprehensively. For instance, the yarn from the extra-long staple cotton grown in
India is not suitable for the imported looms. No consideration was given to the availability of power and water required to run the imported jet and water looms. When men in the family commit suicide or die the women face hardships to fend for the family.
As a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights
India and therefore Andhra Pradesh is duty-bound under international law to fulfil its people’s right to feed themselves. As a person working internationally for the implementation of human rights I would like to ask you to,
1. Distribute AAY cards to all the weaver families to get 35 kgs rice and additionally 5kgs of lentils and 1 Kg of oil under emergency relief.
2. Increase the provision under AAY so that all recipients have two meals per day guaranteed.
3. Present and implement a comprehensive action plan to fulfil the weavers’ right to feed themselves linking up design, investment and innovation with the market and indicating how prices of raw material such as yarn, dyes and chemicals can be maintained within reach of the weavers.
Please inform me of the action you plan to take in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
Merci d'avance
Alain
