Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM)
Credit: Screengrab from SJM Website
New Delhi: The Swadeshi Jagran Manch on Wednesday dubbed the Global Hunger Index-2023 as 'another mischievous report' by a German organisation and called upon the 'patriotic people of Bharat' to not believe its findings released with 'mala fide intentions'.
In a statement, it also called upon the Narendra Modi government to take up this 'issue' at diplomatic levels and 'curb' the publication of such reports defaming 'Bharat' in the future.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch's (SJM) reaction came after India was ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index-2023 last week. The SJM is an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP's ideological fountainhead.
The index, released on Thursday, stated that India has the highest child-wasting rate in the world at 18.7 per cent, reflecting acute undernutrition.
"Yet another mischievous report on the Global Hunger Index," SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said in a statement.
"The Swadeshi Jagran Manch shows its deep anguish against this Global Hunger Report and calls upon the patriotic people of Bharat to not believe such reports (released) with mala fide intentions," he said.
"We call upon the government of Bharat to take this issue at the diplomatic level and curb publication of such reports defaming Bharat, in future," Mahajan said.
The issue must also be taken up with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other UN agencies to expedite the correction in their respective data sets, based on official data provided by the Indian government, he added.