The recent HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) report which says that – 42 per cent of Indian children under-five are malnourished, and 59 per cent of them suffer from moderate to severe stunting has made Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to call the findings a “national shame”. But, the findings of the Naandi Foundation which has prepared the report should not surprise us, given the callous attitude of the UPA government to tackle the problem. In Oct 2008, Dr. Singh had set up the Prime Minister’s National Council on Nutrition Challenges to guide him on addressing malnutrition. Far from treating malnutrition as a challenge, the Prime Minister’s Office had reduced it as an issue of least priority. The high- profile council had met only once in the past three years in November 2010. One of the most important decisions taken was to strengthen and restructure the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) – which is in operation for 36 years but utterly in a ramshackle condition due to paltry fund allocations.
However, what surprised many, was the recommendation made by the Naandi Foundation that – biscuits are a good way to provide nutrition to malnourished children in the country. The foundation had partnered in the past with the leading biscuit company Britannia, to promote its Tiger biscuits and other processed foods as part of the mid-day meal schemes. Britannia claims that one pack of its Tiger biscuits delivers as much iron as one kilo of bananas, while ITC claims that five pieces of its Sunfeast biscuits are equal to one roti. Though, it appears doubtful whether the findings of the Naandi Foundation would prompt the UPA government to strengthen the ICDS and other government schemes, the biscuit companies will surely stand to profiteer the Hunger and Malnutrition in the country. One is reminded of P. Sainath’s book “Everybody loves a good drought”.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
Kadapa, A.P.