Pranab Mukherjee, please act now: Celebrities

Actors like Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Kunal Kapoor, film-maker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ace photographer Raghu Rai, fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani and other prominent personalities from across India have written an open letter to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee demanding more investment in the health sector.

Shabana says, “Every one of us has a role to play in saving lives of children. That’s why I’ve signed Save the Children’s petition to urge the government to increase its investment in the health budget.”

Kunal adds, “We know that we need to tackle the obstacles that prevent children from getting what they need to keep them alive. And we know that one of these obstacles is that children don’t have access to the healthcare they need. That’s why I’m urging the government to invest now.”

Research shows an estimated 20 lakh children die every year in India due to ill health — the maximum in the world. Despite boasting that India is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the government’s spending on health is a meagre 1.1 per cent of India’s total GDP.

Nandita says, “Social change can only take place if we get involved and speak up. I am supporting this petition because I believe that the government needs to take issues of healthcare more seriously.”

Raghu adds, “Children are our nation’s future. To ensure a bright future for India, we must do everything we can and ensure the well-being of children.”

Tarun ends, “This is a wonderful effort to save lives by getting the government to give children the healthcare they’re entitled to.”