NHRC probe demanded

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, APRIL, 10. The former Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Chhabildas Mehta, has demanded the State Government to refer to the National Human Rights Commission the issue of death of a poor tribal in Sabarkantha in north Gujarat in what could be the first case of starvation death in the drought-stricken State.

Though the Government and the Health Minister, Mr Ashok Bhatt, insist that the cause of death of the 35-year-old Ditabhai Okrabhai Gamar was tuberculosis and not hunger, Mr. Mehta, and the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and another former Chief Minister, Mr. Amarsinh Chaudhary, as well as some voluntary organisations such as the Eklavya Sangathan maintained that death was due to starvation.

Ditabhai reportedly collapsed while working in a drought relief project at his native village of Sebalia in Khedbrahma taluka of Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat, one of the worst drought- hit areas, on Thursday.

The local primary health centre doctor, who along with two other doctors performed a post-mortem more than 28 hours after the death, has given his report as death caused by TB but Mr. Chaudhary said it was a mere ``doctored'' version at the behest of the leaders of the ruling party.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, away in the United States on a week-long tour, is due to return later tonight but a spokesman of the State Government quoting the post-mortem report denied the case to be a starvation death and maintained that adequate relief was provided to the affected people. Malnutrition among the poor tribals was common but that had not caused any death in the State, he said

Mr. Chaudhary, demanding the resignation of the Keshubhai Patel Ministry for ``all-round failure of the Government to meet the drought situation,'' said he was not convinced by the post-mortem report. He claimed that the doctor was acting under the instructions of the Collector and the two members of the Patel Cabinet hailing from the district.

Mr. Chaudhary said Ditabhai's family of seven including five children, had not eaten anything for the last three days. In the post-mortem report also it was mentioned that not a morsel of food was found in his stomach or intestine.

Ditabhai had no past record of any disease, had not been registered as a TB patient and had never taken any medicine. ``Ditabhai as such was a healthy person, how could he suddenly develop TB that can be the cause of his death,'' he questioned.

On Thursday, while digging earth in the drought relief project, Ditabhai vomited blood and collapsed.

Though the death occurred in the afternoon, his body was not removed till the next day afternoon when the PHC doctor with the local ``mamlatdar,'' the Government revenue officer, performed the post-mortem on the body. His body was immediately cremated before any other investigation could be carried out.

Mr. Bhatt, however, has no answer to the question that if Ditabhai was suffering from TB why was he given work like digging of soil in violation of the scarcity manual. The manual also provide for health check-up for every labourer before they were assigned work which apparently was also not followed.

His 30-year-old wife Resiben, who has just given birth to their fifth child, has denied that her husband was suffering from TB or any other terminal diseases. She confirmed that the family had no food to eat for three days.

There was no work and the family had no income and not a grain could be found in her house. He had run up huge debts and even owed over Rs 1,000 to the local provision shop and the shop owner had refused to help him further.

Mr. Chaudhary said it was a clear case of dismal failure and gross negligence of the State administration. He had been drawing the attention of the State Government since September, last year, about the serious drought situation prevailing in Khedbrahma and other parts of north Gujarat but the Government declared scarcity in the area only in December and the first relief operation was started in Sebalia only three days ago to provide income to the needy.

According to Mr. Chaudhary, Ditabhai was apparently hit by a sun stroke while on work and resulted in his death due to empty stomach. He also demanded compensation of a least Rs 5. lakhs to the family of Ditabhai.

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