WFP appoints Anoushka to raise awareness about hunger

NEW DELHI: Aiming to counter indifference towards the problem of hunger and malnutrition, especially among children, the UN World Food Programme has roped in renowned sitarist Anoushka Shankar to help raise awareness about the issues in India.

The initiative will begin with the inauguration on Friday of a week-long classical music and dance festival that will be co-hosted by the Ravi Shankar Institute for Music and Performing Arts and the WFP.

Announcing Anoushka's collaboration, WFP's Deputy Country Director Dominique Frankfort said, "Indifference is the worst enemy in the fight against hunger. It is true that India is making progress towards the millennium development goals to eliminate malnutrition and hunger but the progress is slow and uneven."

"By teaming up with Anoushka, who is a great public figure we hope to raise awareness of the shameful fact that hunger and malnutrition, especially among children, are still very much with us," Frankfort said.

"I wish to highlight the plight of the hungry in India. It's disheartening to see millions go to bed hungry in a country such as India, which has no dearth of opportunities or talent," said the daughter of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.

The week-long festival dedicated to music legend George Harrison of the Beatles will be inaugurated on Friday at the Ravi Shankar Centre.

Various artistes like Mahmood Dhaulpuri, Akram Khan, Ram Kumar Mishra, Mithilesh Jha and Udai Mazumdar among others will attend it.