Underskog

Welcome to the launch of: Starvation and India’s Democracy, by Dr. Dan Banik, Associate Professor, Centre for Development and The Environment, University of Oslo

Commentators:

• Prof. Peter Townsend, London School of Economics

• Prof. Kalle Moene, Dept. of Economics, University of Oslo

• Prof. Arjun Sengupta, Centre for Development and Human Rights, New Delhi & Visiting Professor, SUM-UiO

Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome! (Kindly register).

This book analyzes India’s efforts in responding to sensational and easily visible disasters in contrast to the ‘silent emergency’ of drought-induced under nutrition and starvation deaths. Building on Amartya Sen’s famous claim that no famine has ever occurred in a democratic country, it re-examines the relationship between democracy, public action and famine prevention. The author analyzes:

• the interaction between specific institutions in India and their accountability to the public

• the role of the media in highlighting problems of extreme poverty and destitution and the effectiveness of political and administrative responses to such reports

• the extent to which tribal groups are vulnerable to starvation and famine, and an analysis of whether starvation deaths in droughtprone Kalahandi district in Orissa are unique in India

• the impact of two major nutrition programmes, the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), in reducing the incidence, duration and impact of starvation deaths.