Jaipur: The three-day 8th National Convention of the Right to Food Campaign concluded Monday after the presentation of the ‘Jaipur Declaration’. A joint ‘Jaipur Declaration’ was released following discussions on the concluding day.Key points emerging from the declaration include: hunger and malnutrition are major global issues, and there is a need to strengthen the campaign to combat them. Govt schemes such as ration distribution, pension schemes, maternity benefits, Anganwadi services, and midday meals should be simplified, their budgets increased, and their implementation made stronger. Special attention must be paid to those excluded due to Aadhaar and digitisation, to ensure they receive their rightful entitlements and dignity.Second, the current development model should provide equal space to all sections of society. Displacement in the name of development and commercialisation—through exploitation of water, forests, and land—is affecting nutrition and needs reconsideration.Third, a strong struggle will continue in conflict-affected areas to ensure the right to food, health, and human rights.At the beginning of the session, convenor Kavita Srivastava read out resolutions passed in defence of the rights to food and freedom in Gaza, Manipur, and Bastar. She noted that over the three days, various issues related to the right to food—such as MGNREGA, minimum wages, social security pensions, environmental protection, farm laws, ration distribution, and challenges arising from digitisation—were discussed and strategies formulated. tnn
