Genocide in Attappady: VS Achuthanandan

He alleged that the State government had thrown these children to death by neglecting its duty to provide nutritious food and medical attention to the mothers during their pregnancy period.

Ponnamma and Maruthan of Attappady still seek the reason for their twins' death, they say the doctors asked them to leave the hospital immedietly after the babies died. This is the second time the couple lost their baby to malnutrition. File Photo: Thulasi Kakkat

Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the State government should be booked for genocide in the context of the report of a Central expert team that squarely blamed it for the child deaths in the tribal hamlets of Attappady in Palakkad district.

In a statement here on Monday, Mr. Achuthanandan said report of this expert team from the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad had pointed out that 49 per cent of the children in the Attappady tribal hamlets had stunted growth due to malnutrition. The report had also noted that the death of 24 newborn children in Attappady during a short period prior to the team’s visit to the place to study the issue was also due to the absence of adequate hospital care. The report observed that at least 20 of these deaths could have been averted.

He alleged that the State government had thrown these children to death by neglecting its duty to provide nutritious food and medical attention to the mothers during their pregnancy period.

Mr. Achuthanandan noted that a medical team led by senior doctor B. Iqbal constituted under the initiative of the CPI(M) and another led by senior paediatrician Sathyanji constituted under the initiative of some of the tribal organisations had drawn the attention of the government to the same issues.