The 8th National Convention of the Right to Food and Livelihood Campaign concluded here on Monday with a renewed resolve to struggle for the right to food, especially in conflict-affected areas in India and abroad.

Underlining correlation between peace, democratic governance, and food adequacy, the three-day convention stated, “Whether it is Manipur, Bastar, or Gaza in Palestine, the right to food and the freedom of the common man are affected by riots, wars, and massacres, and these must be ensured and protected.”

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This was well in line with the event’s theme — “Securing Right to Food; Strengthening Democracy”. The theme and the subjects of various sessions attracted around 1,000 participants from 16 states across the country for discussions and deliberations here.

Whether it be Manipur, Bastar, or Gaza, the theme of the convention kept deliberations focused on raising the question of food and freedom. Hunger and malnutrition are major global issues, and there is a need to strengthen the campaign to combat them.

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 the nutrition and needs of the common and weaker sections.

On the concluding day on Monday, a large number of young participants shared their views. In the session titled “Right to Food in Conflict Areas”, Germany-born Indian scholar Professor Gabrielle Dietrich spoke about the ongoing war in Gaza and asserted that “food and water are fundamental human rights”. She recalled her childhood spent in a relief camp in Germany during World War II and called for a ceasefire (in Gaza).

Social activist Nisha Sidhu shared painful accounts from her visit to relief camps in Manipur, stating that people there long for peace.

James Herenj from Jharkhand spoke on Operation Kagar in Bastar, highlighting how tribals are fulfilling their duty to protect natural resources and yet are being targeted under the guise of ending Naxalism.

At the beginning of the session, convener of the convention, Kavita Srivastava, read out resolutions passed to defend 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, farm laws, environmental protection, ration distribution, and challenges arising from digitisation, were discussed and strategies formulated.

Participants deliberated on the alleged weakening of democratic institutions, erosion of accountability mechanisms, and increasing marginalisation of the poor and vulnerable, convener Srivastava said.

The Right to Food Campaign also took cognisance of the continuing genocide in Gaza, the erosion of democratic values across the world, including in the US and Europe, and the replacement of a rules-based world with one based on “might is right”.

“We unequivocally condemn all violence and call for an end to hostilities, including in Gaza, Palestine, and especially closer home in South Asia,” it said.

The Right to Food Campaign calls for the intensification of the struggles against growing inequality, sectarianism, and the consolidation of far-right forces in both the political and societal spheres in India and across the world.

More than 800 activists, representatives of various organisations, and researchers from around 20 states actively participated in the convention. Several activists were honoured on the closing day.

In an extended session on Monday, Grijesh Dinkar (NCDHR), Ranjaben Vaghela (Right to Food Campaign), Nitin Verghese (Jagrut Adivasi Dalit Sangathan), and Jitendra (Jan Jagriti Sangathan) spoke on various aspects of the right to food and called for improvements and reforms in the process.

Rajshekhar and Poorbayan moderated the session.

On the question of invoking cessations of hostilities in places like Gaza, Palestine, and some European regions during discussions at the convention on the basic domestic issues of food and hunger, Srivastava said, “There exists a fundamental link between an assured right to food and a vibrant, participatory democracy.

She emphasised that food security is not merely a matter of policy but a cornerstone of justice, dignity, and democratic governance.