Starvation Deaths

Over the past year, at least 20 persons have succumbed to starvation across the country: 12 in Jharkhand, three in Karnataka, three in Uttar Pradesh and two in Odisha. The deceased range from 11-year-old Santoshi Kumari to 67-year-old Etwariya Devi. All the victims were either from the Dalit, Adivasi, Other Backward Class (OBC) or Muslim communities. In at least 11 cases, Aadhaar-related failures directly contributed to starvation. In all the cases, the victims’ intake of food drastically reduced due to disruptions in access to subsidised foodgrains, and social security pensions.

Seven of the starvation victims were not issued a ration card. In the latest case of Chintaman Malhar in Ramgarh, Jharkhand, the entire village had not been issued ration cards. The ration cards of two families were cancelled as they were not linked with Aadhaar. In five of the cases, either no member of the family could authenticate their identity through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication (ABBA), or the ones who could were unable to go to the ration shop due to old age or illness. In one case, the dealer did not give rations even after successful ABBA.