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INDIA: 24 family of Mushar are marginalized from the Government assistance in Khargupur village in block Sevapuri Varanasi. If immediate facilities are not provided to these mushar communities they may die due to starvation.

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INDIA: corruption, failure of local administration, right to live, right to food, impunity

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Dear Friend,

Asian Human Right commission received information from People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights that 24 family of Mushar are marginalized from the Government assistance in Khargupur village in block Sevapuri Varanasi. If immediate facilities are not provided to these mushar communities they may die due to starvation.

Case

24 mushar families are living from forefather in Khargupur village block Sevapuri in Varanasi district. To fetch their children they sell leaf and stick which is irregular. Villager beat and abuse mushar for cutting stick and leaf from others people’s trees. Due to irregularity in selling leaf and stick mushar people are starving.

Hardly mushar community gets one time food from by picking up grain from the field. There is no hand pump in mushar ghetto for water they have to travel long distance.

The community health center is 3 K.M far from Khargupur village. Mushar said they did not get medical treatment in the hospital. One old woman said doctor may give us poison and we all might die. During the time of delivery they did not get free medicine they have to buy medicine from outside.

Mushars are landless and homeless. In the plot mushar are living is allotted six year earlier by village head Mr. Jungali Pal to people of chamar community. Nine mushar gets 10,000 Rupees to from Union bank of India in Sirhiri branch for the construction of house.

Name of mushar getting benefit

• Amrawati W/o Raghunath

• Suresh S/o Raghunath

• Bhikhari S/o Laudhar

• Yogesh S/o late Kishor

• Baggi s/o Late Balai

• Chote Lal S/o late Kishor

• Urmila W/o Gulab

• Shama S/o Late Balai

• Pyare S/o Shama

The five-mushar money was taken by village secretary and remaining four people money by Sunil Mishra primary school teacher in Kamapur. They buy bricks of low quality and instead of cement construction was done by mud.

Next day policeman of Jansa police station came ordered to stop work and start beating mushar male and abusing to their women. When construction work stop then mushar went to sadar tehsil in Varanasi but they did not get any relief from there.

On 31^st October mushar send application to solve their problem of employment, red card, house and allotment of land. DM ordered to BDO for solution mushar problem. Some mushar family members have below poverty line card but they did not have money to buy ration at the cheap rate. Till now mushar did not get money from village secretary and teachers.

Many old mushar are not getting benefit of old age pension. ANM and Anganwadi center is working in the mushar ghetto. Mushar children are going to primary school and getting mid-day meal in the school.

Two trolleys come for the distribution in mushar ghetto for the alternate livelihood opportunity but this trolley is kept with village head Mr. Junglie Pal and BDC Mr. Surendra Pal.

Sample letter:

To,

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Sub: take immediate action to save the life of mushar in Khargupur village in Sevapuri block in Varanasi district.

Respected Sir/Madam,

I want to draw your attention towards the 24 families of mushar living in village Khargupur in block sevapuri in Varanasi district. Mushar are living here from their forefather but still these mushar are homeless and landless.

I am aware that the plots in which mushar are living was allotted to chamar community six year earlier by the village head Mr. Jungli pal.

I am also aware that mushar cut leaf and stick from other people which is irregular. Some time mushar are beaten and abused by the villager for cutting stick and leaf. Due to less income mushar face problem to fetch their children. Mushar pick grain from the field and hardly get one time food.

I am aware in the plot mushar are living is allotted six year earlier by village head Mr. Jungali Pal to people of chamar community. Nine mushar gets 10,000 Rupees to from Union bank of India in Sirhiri branch for the construction of house.

I am also aware that five-mushar money was taken by village secretary and remaining four people money by Sunil Mishra primary school teacher in Kamapur. They buy bricks of low quality and instead of cement construction was done by mud.

I am aware that on next day policeman of Jansa police station came ordered to stop work and start beating mushar male and abusing to their women. When construction work stop then mushar went to sadar tehsil in Varanasi but they did not get any relief from there.

I am also aware that on 31^st October, 2007 mushar send application to solve their problem of employment, red card, house and allotment of land. DM ordered to BDO for solution mushar problem. Some mushar family members have below poverty line card but they did not have money to buy ration at the cheap rate. Till now mushar did not get money from village secretary and teachers.

Many old mushar are not getting benefit of old age pension. ANM and Anganwadi center is working in the mushar ghetto. Mushar children are going to primary school and getting mid-day meal in the school.

Two trolleys come for the distribution in mushar ghetto for the alternate livelihood opportunity but this trolley is kept with village head Mr. Junglie Pal and BDC Mr. Surendra Pal.

I also request you to urge the Varanasi district administration, particularly the District Magistrate, to visit Khargupur village and to take immediate steps to resolve the food scarcity and alternate livelihood opportunity of the Mushar community in the village. I further request you to make sure that after the District Magistrate's enquiry if it is revealed that the village head not distribution ration card to the needy people but keeping with himself for essential services appropriate actions to be initiated against the village head without any further delay.

Yours sincerely

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