CHILDREN OF RURAL BENGAL

BACKGROUND DATA:        With more than 200 million food-insecure people (FAO 2008), India is home to the largest number of hungry people in the world. Although hunger is most directly manifested in inadequate food intake, over time inadequate food intake and a poor diet, especially in combination with low birth weights and high rates of infection, can result in stunted and underweight children. The most extreme manifestation of continued hunger and malnutrition is mortality. In the state of West Bengal, 38.5% of children are underweight and 18.5% of the population is undernourished. 5.9% of children will die under the age of 5 die from hunger.

WHY RURAL BENGAL:          Children in Rural Bengal are in a much worse condition socio-economically as compared to the disadvantaged children of urban areas. The plight of these children is virtually unknown to a large mass of people, which makes the situation critical. The political tensions of the recent past in West Bengal is also responsible for making life a little more tougher. While this essay does not particularly focus on the hardships of rural children, it lays emphasis on those innocent ones whose lives and futures are being played with, by politicians.