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India stands on the threshold of potentially the largest step towards food justice the world has ever seen
National Food Security Bill currently working its way through parliament Bill will cover 70% of all Indian households Access to food catalysed, ordered and monitored by the courts
India stands on the threshold of potentially the largest step towards food justice the world has ever seen 2
Potential
Rights need to be realised Rights only as strong as the programmes that deliver them Many threats to food security that are beyond the Bills remit Indias food security and malnutrition rates are high and stubborn
Step towards
Rights gained
Took over 50 years of civil and judicial activism to make Articles 21 and 47 of the Constitution judiciable-- the last 10 years particularly active Establishing obligation of the state to do something about food security if we believe in the lottery of hunger as well as the returns to hard work Unpacking the rights on the books for different groups (explicating)
Rights realised
Overcoming exclusion
Financial (e.g. coverage of PDS) Implementation (e.g. greater participation of marginalised groups) Policy (e.g. those just above the BPL)
Rights implemented
Rights may be necessary, but not sufficient
They have to work through existing programmes, at least in the short run
Rights maintained
New frontiers
e.g. food price speculation
New challenges
e.g. climate change and intergenerational justice
Bills cannot short circuit deep seated discrimination, but they should not reinforce them Use the rights lens of the Bills not only to expand access to existing programmes, but to make existing programmes work
The State needs to be proactive in protecting, respecting, facilitating and fulfilling rightsnot fall into the trap of
Power to radicalise
1970s and 1980s: food The Green Revolution grain stocks amid hunger Role of open society in 1990s and 2000s minimising the likelihood of famines increases in income, but decreases in Food from the courts calorie consumption? and the interactions between the 2000 and 2010s: government and civil economic powerhouse it has a responsibility to activism get it and judicial but nutritional right weakling
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