Can we have a more informed debate on food security both inside and outside the Parliament?

 Frankly, I am taken aback by the quality of discussion on food security that is taking place. On the one hand are our politicians who have continually disappointed us and this time is no different. The government has suddenly woken up from its sleep and decided that it will once again get into the business of governing India. The principle opposition party has openly declared elections and their more bothered about petty things. But what I find most disturbing is that the media is not engaging in a constructive debate on a matter that concerns more than 70% of India’s population. Most of the discussion in the newspapers is unfortunately not well researched. For instance, Mr. TK Arun writes in the economic times that “number of empirical studies show that hunger is no longer a major worry for the vast majority of Indians (4% are hungry), but over 40% are malnourished”( http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/t-k-arun/a-dozen-alternatives-to-food-subsidy-for-improved-welfare-of-the-poor/articleshow/20907793.cms).

He does not cite the empirical studies neither does he explain what is his definition of hunger. Generally undernourishment is considered a part of hunger. It is interesting to note that way back 2011, economic times had reported that countries like China and Pakistan ahead of us in the Global Hunger Index published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-10-12/news/30270931_1_global-hunger-index-hunger-levels-india-ranks). Either Mr. Editor does not read his own newspaper or he grossly underestimates its readers!

Time for some facts. Is hunger really not an issue in India as the likes of Mr. Arun would have us believe? Firstly, what exactly is hunger? Hunger refers to the discomfort associated with lack of food. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines food deprivation as the consumption of fewer than 1800 calories which is regarded as the minimum that most people require to live a healthy and productive life. According to FAO’s World Hunger Map, 18% of the Indian population or about 217 million people are undernourished (http://faostat.fao.org/site/563/default.aspx).

 In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) Reports, “hunger” refers to the index based on the following three indicators:

1.      Undernourishment - proportion of undernourished people as a percentage of the population

2.      Child underweight - proportion of children younger than age five who are underweight

3.      Child mortality - mortality rate of children younger than age five

GHI ranks countries on a 100-point scale in which zero is the best score and 100 the worst.

According to the GHI Report 2012, India ranks 65^th out of a total of 79 countries and its GHI score is 22.9 which implies that hunger levels in India are ‘alarming’. India has lagged behind in improving its GHI score despite strong economic growth in the past two decades. During the period from 1990 to 2012 when India’s per capita GNI more than doubled, GHI score improved by only 24%. A quick comparison of GHI scores across countries reveals that India ranks way below her neighbours China (2^nd), Sri Lanka (37^th), Pakistan (57^th) and Nepal (60^th) in the GHI index. Moreover, 28 Sub-Saharan African countries are ahead of us. Even strife torn countries like Sudan (61^st) rank ahead of us.

According to the MDG India Country Report 2011 published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), India is likely to miss the millennium development goal of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Therefore, which empirical studies are being relied upon to say that hunger is not a major worry for India is not clear at all?

P Sainath has compared the ruling classes of India who pursue business friendly policies while cruelly neglecting the poor with Nero’s guests. It is high time the Indian elite stop acting like Nero’s guests and the media stop misinforming us so that we can clearly see the alarmingly high levels of hunger present in India. Such high levels of deprivation cannot be acceptable in a civilized society. India needs a more a more informed debate on food security both inside and outside the Parliament which considers all the concerns of the opposition parties, farmers groups, civil society and academia and then the enactment of food security bill which improves the lives of millions in India and gives them a dignified life. Is anybody ready to rise up above petty politics and short term gains?