‘The day I go to Satna, my children remain hungry in the house waiting for me to return with food. If the collected wood is confiscated, then I have to come back to borrow some grains from the local shop. I have to very carefully ration out the food to everyone in the family – with a lot of water to make it last longer.’

– A Kol (tribal community), woman from the same village¹ 

 

IN the context of tribal malnutrition, we need to understand the role of the media from a vantage point of its perspective on the matter. Presently, when 56.4% of tribal children suffer from growth inhibiting malnutrition and 71.4% of these children are in underweight situations,² why was the question – if tribal society had always been in such a precarious condition – never raised? And if that is indeed true, how has it survived on its own for so long?

In over 15 years of working in the Sahariya tribe dominant regions of Shivpuri, Sheopur and Ganjbasoda (district Vidisha) of Madhya Pradesh (MP), I have learnt some basic lessons on the media’s response to the subject of tribal nutrition. Back in the day, the media highlighted how the tribal population of these regions was dying due to hunger and surviving on grass and seeds. For us, it was shocking because what the media mistook as seeds were little millets (with the botanical term panicum miliare) – like any normal grain eaten by others. Out of ignorance about the dietary habits of tribal people, our media mistook them for ‘seeds’. Till the ’70s, in addition to this, our tribal brethren consumed significant grains like kodo millet (paspalum scrobiculatum), bajra (pennisetum typhodeum), kangni (setaria italica), ragi or madua (eleusine coracana). But for our elitist media, their nutritional diet was simply ‘plain’ grass and ‘insipid’ seeds.

What gets highlighted is one significant point, that our tribal society has been able to meet its food requirements through naturally available resources. If someone has to assess the extent of malnutrition in the tribal populace, they need to first have a feel of their cultural fabric and ethos. In the media, the issue of food security of tribes largely remains confined to only talking about government schemes. Our discussions remain limited to certain stock themes, viz. non-functioning of anganwadis, mid-day meal, PDS schemes, etc. But we don’t address the root of the problem – how has a society which for millennia survived well and happily in its forests, fallen victim to the scourge of malnutrition and hunger?

 

A large percentage of the population in the districts of South Madhya Pradesh, especially in Hoshangabad, Betul, Chhindwara and Harda, are from the Gond tribe. Their lifestyle fills their palate and platter where they fetch some 262 items from the forests, including mahua, asparagus, harad, bahera, bel, chiraunjee and arjun. Mahua makes their bread/rotis, mahua makes their drink, and it provides them cooking oil too. Tendu leaves are rolled into beedis, and their fruit is edible. Nirgundi is useful in curing limb pain. Tikhur (arrowroot) strengthens the body. Wild ginger is used to treat flu. In all, 55 varieties of forest produce are used to treat 80 kinds of diseases.

However, an ongoing study over the last year in Baiga, Sahariya, Korku, Bharia and Kol communities has thrown up startling facts. Almost 68% of tribal youth know almost nothing about their grains, tubers, and green leafy vegetables whose seeds are no longer available. And these very tribes are in the grip of malnutrition or food insecurity. In fact, the livelihood of tribes is to be viewed in conjunction with their innate needs, their lifestyle, etc. Despite a bumper crop of soybean, our tribes have suffered a protein deficiency to the extent of 29%. Even today, the Baigas don’t talk about private ownership of land as a priority; they believe in community ownership, whereas our forest laws coax them to go for private ownership. In such a situation, will they be able to survive on a meagre holding of one and a half to three acres at maximum? Maybe, provided they get community rights over their natural resources!

 

The question today is: How were these so-called backward tribal societies so rich in their culinary habits with nearly 262 kinds of food items on their thali?³ Who destroyed their food? Media reports tales of tribal hunger, yet remains tight-lipped about the decay of innate tribal food security systems.

An analysis of 860 stories, op-ed articles and editorials in the English, Hindi and Urdu press and on news portals since January 2014 shows the tribal population among the most marginalized, deprived and oppressed sections of Indian society. The coverage underscores that even as India has the second largest population of tribals in the world, settled across the length and breadth of the country, the fruits of economic development have barely percolated to them. Efforts to enhance their social inclusion are too few and distanced and there is considerable room to improve human development indicators among the tribal population, especially in the area of health, education and situation of girls and women.

In 2015, 86% of news stories relating to tribal issues were event-based and mostly about atrocities on tribal women and girls, and agitations by NGOs and tribal activists opposing displacement of tribals from their lands.

 

The non-event based coverage, especially the news analysis and op-ed articles appearing on account of a few journalists’ own initiatives, and studies by international and national organizations in tribal areas, did however highlight key linkages between poverty and poor human development to help plan for improving the health and education of the tribal population in the country. But these news articles can be counted on ones fingers. It is worth mentioning that positive stories on tribals with reference to the higher sex ratio observed in tribal areas and their love for nature have been written about as well.

At Vikas Samvad, we did a study on the media coverage of children’s issues like their health, education, violence against them, their safety and security, etc. I recollect the travel by a group of young social workers and researchers in the interiors of 45 villages of Sahariya tribe dominated Shivpuri and Sheopur districts of Madhya Pradesh in June 2005 wherein we held deliberations with the villagers. By 2006, when the NFHS-3 report came out, the media had been briefed about the implications of malnutrition. As a result, the next twelve months saw 72 news items being published based on data of NFHS-3 report. Later, in the run up to state assembly elections of 2008, all the political parties were urged to express their commitment to build a malnutrition free MP. The media took this step in a positive way, as its intervention was not just limited to defining the problem; rather it went beyond to talk about the solution as well. As a result, the election year of 2008 witnessed some 1700 news items/articles/features published on the subject.

The media coverage one again gained some momentum with the The Hindustan Times, 22 June 2014, publishing a research report on the plight of tribal children ending up as child labourers. Quoting a study, HT wrote: ‘In Malda, economic poverty combined with a loss of livelihood often results in family’s inability to provide food and security to children. This paves the way for unsafe migration of a large number of children to urban areas in search of jobs. There have been cases of prosecution for trafficking children for sexual purposes. Lack of regular income of the families of daily wagers also results in trafficking of tribal children to urban areas, adversely impacting their education, health and psychology.’

 

The last two years have seen media coverage highlighting rampant malnutrition among tribals, particularly children and women. Most of these stories are based on surveys conducted by the ICDS, NRHM and have generously quoted the HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) Report for making a strong case for addressing the needs of malnourished children in the tribal areas of the country.

A report in The Times of India, 30 January 2014, states that, ‘Even as recently released data on infant mortality varies widely amongst states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, most of these deaths are on account of malnutrition and vaccine preventable diseases and they are predominantly in tribal areas.’ Because of a lack of awareness and education most tribal women adopt harmful practices like discarding of colostrum, giving pre-lacteal feeds, delayed initiation of breastfeeding and delayed introduction of complementary feeds. The Hindustan Times wrote that apart from starting community kitchens in tribal villages and increasing the staff strength of medicos in government hospitals, many states have not been able to tackle basic issues like alienation of tribal lands and revival of traditional agriculture. Children in rural areas are underweight and in some states this figure is as high as 60%, especially among the scheduled tribes.

 

The prevalence of nutritional anaemia among tribals, especially affecting children and women, is another major problem highlighted in the media. This is particularly serious in view of the fact that both rural and tribal women have a heavy workload and anaemia has profound effect on psychological and physical health. Maternal malnutrition is quite common among the tribal women, especially those who have many and closely spaced pregnancies.

In the run-up to the parliamentary election campaign and later, the media focused on the situation of children in tribal areas of Gujarat. ‘Over eight lakh malnourished children in Gujarat’, wrote The Indian Express on 26 July 2014, adding that malnutrition among children was alarmingly high in tribal districts of Dahod, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Panchmahal.

In the period 2004-2015 in MP, 6980 news items/articles/analyses were published in the print media, and more than 300 new items/programmes were transmitted through TV. Numbers here don’t matter; what matters is the change in attitude of media towards malnutrition, whereupon the issue of malnutrition and child health became the central issue of social policy.

There remains an absence of media coverage on the ground realities and analysis of the implementation of popular government schemes for tribal populations like the tribal sub-plan (TSP), forest laws and PESA; also about some significant committed interventions for structural changes in the system. The question media should ask is why.

Over the years it has been my experience that as far as chronic and serious cases of malnutrition, including death, are concerned our media remains receptive and alert enough to pitch in and do its bit. But it does not show proportionate interest in the generic aspects of the problem. Even today, media eagerly looks for and latches on to those ‘in-demand’ skin and bone pictures of emaciated children. But the problem is not just confined to the subject of malnutrition; for any issue to be properly projected, a continuous and rigorous interaction with the media is imperative.

 

The media has played a minor, yet important role in highlighting the rampant malnutrition among tribal children and women. The knowledge based on surveys and studies and brought out by national and international organizations underscoring poor human development indicators does find mention in the media, but there seems to be a feeling that the tribals rarely come to know what’s being written about them. There is, of course, a section in the media that perceives the tribals, especially tribal activists, as a major roadblock on the path of faster industrial development and attracting greater foreign direct investment (FDI).

One of the main reasons identified for marginalization of tribals relates to acquisition of tribal land on account of a number of large projects like dams, hydroelectric and thermal power plants, mining and expansion of mineral based industries. A number of media reports have expressed concern that as the demand for land from the industry increases, and the government is contemplating amendments to the Land Acquisition Act to facilitate the process, tribals may face further alienation from their land and sources of livelihood. Already the tribals constitute the largest chunk of internally displaced people, often described as ‘refugees in their own country.’

 

Clearly there is a need to ensure that there is no displacement of tribals and if in the social interest, any future displacement is required, the process should not involve force, be dignified and participatory as indicated in the PESA Act. Any displacement of tribals must be accompanied by adequate compensation and robust measures for their rehabilitation with livelihood security. Given their poor human development indicators and historical injustice, a large chunk of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget should be earmarked for improving health, education and skill development of tribal communities and it should flow as per the clauses of the PESA Act.

Only by promoting models of growth with equity, can industry hope to create conditions conducive for their commercial activities in tribal areas. As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s thrust on sabka saath, sabka vikas, it is critical that tribals are not left behind in India’s growth story and made to pay for the country’s development. It is also hoped that the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY), launched recently by the tribal affairs ministry in 10 tribal districts of India with ten crore rupees earmarked for each block for infrastructure development, would provide the much needed impetus for the welfare of tribals. The implementation of the Forest Rights Act in letter and spirit is an important first step to creating a community based road map for dealing with the challenges of food and nutrition security.

But the situation will not move in a positive direction unless the binding mandate prescribed in part six, Schedule Five and Schedule Six of the Indian Constitution is not adhered to! It says, ‘Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the government may by public notification direct that any particular Act of Parliament or the legislature of the state shall not apply to a Scheduled Area or any part thereof in the state subject to such exceptions and modifications as he may specify in the notification and any direction given under this sub-paragraph may be given so as to have retrospective effect.’ Every Scheduled Area has to have a Tribal Advisory Council. It shall be the duty of the Tribal Advisory Council to advice on such matters pertaining to the welfare and advancement to the Scheduled Tribes in the state as may be referred to them by the Governor. This means that no programme or trial can be imposed on the tribal society. There is a basic need to give respect to the identity of tribal society. Nothing can be done ‘on their behalf’, unless they themselves decide on it.

‘The absence of state accountability is at the core of issues facing tribal communities’, reports The Hindu on 3 January 2015. Also, ‘the right to good health care must be addressed using modern technology, innovative approaches and by involving tribals in developing solutions for their problems’, as was earlier reported by The Hindu (2 September 2014) which recalled the Independence Day address of the prime minister to the nation about inclusive development, with food security, safe housing and sanitation being the rights of every citizen. Health is intimately linked to these essentials of living. The health status of India’s tribal communities is in need of special attention. Being among the poorest and most marginalized groups in India, tribals experience extreme levels of health deprivation. The tribal community lags behind the national average on several vital public health indicators, with women and children being the most vulnerable.

 

Footnotes:

1. D. Sinha, B. Patnaik, V. Raaj, S. Bhattacharya and A. Joshi, ‘Popular Actions, State Reactions: the Moral and Political Economy of Food in India.’ Food Riots and Food Rights Project Report. Institute of Development Studies, Brighton/New Delhi, 2014, p. 16.

2. NFHS-3 (2005-06). Whilst the NFHS-4 (2015-16) Fact Sheet has recently been released, the equity-disaggregated results are not yet available.

3. Vikas Samvad, 2012-13 Study.