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IN THE din of controversies over issues of little consequence, good work done quietly by dedicated bands of volunteers and organs of the civil society goes unnoticed. An example is the initiative taken by Governments of various States by means of establishing the Council for Sustainable Livelihoods, devoted almost exclusively to fighting the war on hunger by mobilising and motivating women presidents and members of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs). Governments, whatever their political complexion, have been happy to give the Hunger Project their support.

The Project attacks hunger-related issues, including malnutrition, low birthweight of babies, anaemia, maternal health, infant mortality, income generation in order to increase the family's resources for food-cum-nutrition security and public awareness. The facilities of hospitals and public health institutions are dovetailed into it so as to undertake preventive steps against outbreak of ailments associated with malnutrition and hunger. An important aspect that is yet to be fully factored into these laudable efforts is the role of bio-absorption. It is not enough to make cereals available whether as cooked food at mid-day meal centres or for purchase at affordable prices through the public distribution system. Without drinking water and supplements in the form of fruits and vegetables, the intended level of nutrition cannot be achieved. Creation of adequate number of sources of drinking water and encouraging the villagers to grow common vegetables and fruits should become an integral part of the project.

Being unglamorous, the Hunger Project does not receive from officials at various levels and the people at large the recognition that it deserves as an engine of growth and, indeed, as a strong foundation for a society whose members will reach the zenith in terms of productivity and creation of wealth.

For all the talk of right to information and half-hearted pieces of legislation to that end, people continue to be stonewalled when they approach Ministers, bureaucrats and the functionaries down the line. State Councils should give priority to the task of sensitising them to the relevance of sustained livelihoods and eradication of hunger to human development and to nation building.

A corollary is the need to rope in the powerful influence of media which, all too often, run after the unsavoury and the sensational, instead of giving adequate space and prominence to the goals, activities and achievements of set-ups such as the Councils for Sustained Livelihoods and the Hunger Project. The electronic media, in particular, can make a tremendous contribution by telecasting regular interviews and talkshows with the participation of knowledgeable, experienced and articulate doers in the field.

B. S. Raghavan

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