The shocking report of the deaths of 25 poor schoolchildren in the Indian state of Bihar, after eating a free midday meal at school, certainly takes the gloss off the proudly touted ‘Shining India’ slogan.
Many more similar incidents have come to light in the aftermath of this tragedy. There have been reports of panic-stricken children refusing these meals for fear of the consequences.
The Bihar chief minister has now ordered all principals to taste the meals to monitor quality. Apparently, the principal of the ill-fated school and her husband have gone into hiding. The grocery from where the food items for the midday meals were bought is believed to belong to the husband. However, the chief minister’s order does not make much sense to me. The problem should be treated at the root. Were the food stocks stale? What were the storage conditions? Was enough care taken to prepare these meals, knowing they were going to be eaten by children whose immune systems are not the strongest?
The free midday meals were touted as a gimmick by the ruling Congress party. It’s easy to apportion blame, but there is no denying that it is a good idea and, if properly and meticulously executed, would have ensured millions of children received at least one nutritious meal a day.
Chemical analysis suggests that the meals contained a substance used in pesticides. This is difficult to digest, if you will pardon the pun. Do the lives of these children matter so little that no precautions are taken whatsoever to ensure they are fed wholesome food? And while grief-stricken parents try to come to terms with this senseless loss, the blame game goes on.
In yet another city, the stock of rice meant for this scheme was found to be unfit for human consumption. Fortunately for the children, this was discovered in time and the staple was disposed of.
The utter disregard for life and apathy of administrations have come back to haunt us. What needs to be tackled is the corruption that is endemic at every level. This is a Herculean task and undoing this will require a conscious effort from every citizen to demand good governance. There’s no point in grumbling about an apathetic administration and adding to the country’s woes by sitting back and hoping things will turn around.
Those of us who have been blessed with the means to lead a good life need to raise our voices against any injustice. We need to examine our own consciences and see whether our actions are above reproach. The attitude of live and let live only maintains the toxic status quo.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are children whose parents can afford to give them the best. There’s no compromising on quality of food, schooling or general care. Their every need is taken care of and they will never know what it is to have an empty stomach. All those in charge of monitoring and distribution of free midday meal should have been aware of the end consumer. Many of them must be parents themselves. They should have ensured that only the best was given to these needy children who needed it the most.
I think the UAE is a role model in the art of giving selflessly. It’s not a question of being able to afford acts of generosity. Many of us have the means to help others, but always find an excuse to hold back.
The problem is the will to reach out and help others. In this context, the campaigns here to dress one million needy children, or build schools in countries that lack the wherewithal to do so, is truly commendable where the authorities reach out to the most impoverished in nations across the globe.