Sudhanshu Kaushik
People’s Union for Civil Liberties/Haryana Human Rights Commission
New Delhi & Haryana, India
How well do you have it? It’s a question that we should ask ourselves a lot. Throughout my experiences this summer, I’ve been learning about how well off I really am not only because of my material possessions, but also because of who I was born as. Does that sound a bit weird? That’s because it is.
India is a place where an individual’s place of birth can determine how worthy you are and how much respect you will have in society. The caste system and the state of Dalits in India is an abysmal condition that, as of now, has very limited solutions. As a Hindu male belonging to a Brahmin family, I’ve seen fully what my privilege is in India, but sadly I have also seen, through my internship, what it is like to be on the other side.
One of the most ignored groups are widowed Dalits. Through this internship, I’ve met many women who have been ignored and ostracized by society. For this post, I’d like to share one encounter with Shakuntala. As a widowed dalit, you are eligible for and entitled to rations by the Government of India and the various state governments at the highest degree. Shakuntala, whose husband died 15 years ago, is entitled to a small home, food for the rest of her life and even a small pension. But for the past two years, she’s received nothing from the government. Before I met her, local officials would tell her that her paperwork had been lost, and that she wouldn’t be able to 
receive anymore rations for food. It turns out that Shakuntala isn’t alone. In the past year, millions of people haven’t been able to receive their rations in the state of Haryana. With 250 million people, almost the population of the United States, earning less than $1.25 a day in India, it becomes the government’s duty to either raise their standard of living or provide food for them to live. The government is failing at both as of now. People like Shakuntala have been forgotten by the government and by fellow citizens as well.
If you at all find it pertinent to stand up for Shakuntala’s cause and the millions like her, but don’t know how to from the United States, you can submit a grievance form here: http://pgportal.gov.in/GrievanceNew.aspx. Select ‘public’ and ‘food and public distribution’ as the ministry, ‘scheme related’ on grievance category and then type in your name, address, select a state and in the description of the grievance ask:
The 250 million people who live below the poverty line are entitled to rations and subsidies by the central and state governments. There are millions of cases where food supplies are not reaching those who need it. What is the government doing to help allocate proper rations and supplies to those who are in dire need?
This won’t solve the problem at all, but hopefully it will raise questions and more concern for people like Shakuntala, who have been forgotten by the system.