By Moin Qazi*   “In general, the rural moneylender as a species has proved surprisingly resilient, even in countries such as India and Indonesia where it has been a declared objective of state intervention in financial markets to suppress him.” — Hulme and Mosley, Finance Against Poverty A sense of deep despair runs through the lives … More Moneylender still is all-season creature, who has resisted all types of socio-economic antibiotics

Right to Food Campaign’s fact-finding report on Lukhi Murmu’s recent death in Hiranpur block of Pakur (Jharkhand): 30-year old Lukhi Murmu of Dhawadangal village in Ghagharjani Gram Panchayat (Pakur, Jharkhand) died on 23 January 2018. A fact-finding team of the Right to Food Campaign comprising of Anand Prakash Tudu, Ankita Aggarwal, Siraj Dutta and Suraj … More Lukhi Murmu of Jharkhand village died due to prolonged weakness, inadequate nutrition

Findings on India in Oxfam Inequality report “Reward Work, Not Wealth”:  India added 17 new billionaires last year, raising the number to 101 billionaires. Indian billionaires’ wealth increased by INR 4891 billion — from INR 15,778 billion to over INR 20,676 billion. INR 4891 billion is sufficient to finance 85 per cent of the all states’ … More Need to ensure that income of bottom 40% of India’s population grows faster than of top 10%

A civil society note signed* by several prominent organizations and individuals: It was highly shocking to learn that State Bank of India (SBI) had levied Rs 1,771 crores between April and November 2017 as charges from customers who did not maintain their minimum monthly average balance (MAB) in their accounts. To put the numbers in … More Penalizing for poverty: Govt banks should stop extorting money in the name of minimum balance

A fact-finding team consisting of Mithilesh Kumar, Jahur Ansari and Siraj Dutta, on behalf of the Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand, visited Sonpurwa village, Majhiaon block, Garhwa, Jharkhand, on December 28, 2017 to inquire into the starvation death of Etwariya Devi. Text of the report by the team: Etwariya Devi, a 67 years old widow, … More Etwariya’s starvation death in Jharkhand village as family couldn’t cook, there was no grain in house

A fact-finding team of the Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand, visited Korta village, Danda Gram Panchayat, Danda block, Garhwa, Jharkhand, 4-5 December 2017 to inquire into the report on Premani Kunwar’s death on December 1 due to starvation. Members of the investigating team included Mithilesh Kumar, Jawahar Mehta, Ravinder Bhuiyan, Sakina, Sarfaraz, Siraj. Text of … More Jharkhand widow died of starvation as food ration, pension denied to her due to Aadhaar-related issues

By Moin Qazi* Poverty won’t allow him to lift up his head; dignity won’t allow him to bow it down — Malagasy Proverb The global battle against poverty has acquired a new dimension this year with Pope Francis declaring   19 November 2017 as the First World Day of the Poor. Hereafter it will be observed … More Recognise poor as clients or users, not passive recipients of charity, to give chance to end poverty