ROBIN ROY
Even as eggs have been fea tured in protests widely in Bengal following the Assembly election results on May 4, let me deliberate on the history of egg attacks and how eggs have taken centre stage in West Bengal as far as political attacks and mid-day meals for schoolchildren are concerned. FLASHBACK In the 16th-century… English audiences would attend Eliza bethan theatre “Beyond a yolk: a brief history of egging as a political protest carrying rotten eggs and tomatoes to throw at actors if they hated their per formance(s). During the Middle Ages, Beyond a yolk: A brief history of egging as a political protest when prisoners were nailed to public pillories or stocks, au diences were encouraged to throw rotten eggs at them as a form of public shaming.
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In Australia, one of the ear liest high-profile political egg attacks occurred in 1917 when a young man threw an egg at then-Prime Minister Billy Hughes. The act evolved into an icon ic British form of dissent, with numerous high-profile targets including John Major, David Cameron. THE INDIAN CONNECT Egg pelting as a form of politi cal dissent became a prominent tactic starting in the 1970s, with former Prime Minister In dira Gandhi notably targeted during a UK tour in 1978. Post May 4, 2026, egg attacks as we have all seen were a wide spread form of protest against TMC leaders including TMC biggies like.
Abhishek Banerjee and Mahua Moitra (recently). What the law says: • Criminal Force (Section 129 BNS): Intentionally throw ing any object to cause injury, fear, or annoyance constitutes criminal force. Punishment un der Section 131 BNS carries up to 3 months of imprisonment, a fine up to ₹1,000, or both. • Assault with Intent to Dis honour (Section 133 BNS): Even as egg-pelting is inher ently designed to publicly hu miliate the target, perpetrators can be charged with using force to intentionally dishonour a person. This is a much graver offense, punishable by up to 2 years in prison, a fine, or both. • Deterring a Public Servant (Section 132 BNS): If the tar get is a public official or police officer performing their duties, the act carries a severe penalty intended to protect state mech anisms from obstruction. Please note When eggs are targeted at houses, buildings, or vehicles, the chemical composition of the yolk and shell can permanently damage paint or surfaces, le gally transitioning the act into vandalism. • Mischief (Section 324 BNS): Causing damage that di minishes the value or utility of property constitutes mischief. • Penalties: Standard mis chief carries an imprisonment term of up to 6 months or a fine. However, if the damage caused to private or Government prop erty scales higher financially, the imprisonment can extend up to 2 or 5 years depending on the cost of the property de struction. EGGS OFF THE MENU Eggs were not only the arse nal for protesters in Bengal post May 4.
There’s more on eggs… The new West Bengal government replaced eggs with vegetari an alternatives in government school mid-day meals in Kol kata Municipal region. The meals will be provided by the ISKCON-affiliated Annamitra Foundation, which serves pure ly vegetarian food. The state government’s deci sion to drop eggs once a week and switch to vegetarian pro teins like paneer, soyabean, and rajma sparked a major political and nutritional debate. The TMC has criticised the BJP-led government, accusing them of imposing vegetarian ism on a heavily non-vegetarian state. However, nutrition cam paigners argue that eggs are an affordable and highly effective source of protein for growing children. On the other hand, West Ben gal government officials are reportedly reviewing models used in other states, such as Odisha’s hybrid scheme, which allows ISKCON to cook vegetar ian meals while the government provides separate funding spe cifically for egg distribution! Under the national PM POS HAN scheme, the central gov ernment mandates overall nu tritional and calorie targets, but individual state governments hold the power to decide their own menus and because of this local autonomy, egg distribu tion in schools varies drasti cally across India, highlighting political, regional and cultural divides. As of the 2025–2026 academ ic year, only about one-third of Indian states serve eggs in school meals, a number that has steadily declined over the past decade.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER STATES Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh: Leaders in the initi ative, serving 5 eggs per week (one every school day). Tamil Nadu’s historic programme pio neered the use of eggs to boost school enrollment and combat malnutrition. Karnataka: Serves 6 eggs per week to school children. Telangana: Follows closely, providing eggs 3 times a week. Kerala: Maintains a highly nutritious menu, offering eggs and even adding dishes like biryani based on student wel fare revisions. Odisha: Manages a unique compromise to balance reli gious sentiments with child nutrition. Centralized NGO kitchens (like the Akshaya Patra Foundation) cook and deliv er strictly vegetarian meals to schools. However, the state govern ment bypasses these kitchens and provides separate, direct funds to schools so teachers can procure and distribute eggs to the children locally. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, & Madhya Pradesh: Do not serve eggs.
They fulfill protein requirements using vegetarian substitutes like milk, pulses, wheat-based dishes, pa neer, or seasonal fruits. Maharashtra: Stopped state funding for eggs in mid day meals, allowing individual schools to serve them only if they can crowd-source their own funds. DISAPPEARANCES Data analysed from the Min istry of Education shows that eggs and fruits are disappear ing from school plates. In 2015, 16 states served eggs; by 2026, that number dropped to just 13 or 14 states. Public health advo cates warn that replacing eggs with vegetarian alternatives often lowers the total biological value of the protein a child re ceives, as plant-based proteins are less easily absorbed by un dernourished bodies. Why egg is/was popular choice Over the years, several Indi an states introduced eggs into midday meal schemes because they are inexpensive, widely accepted and nutrient-dense. A single egg delivers high-quality protein along with vitamin B12, vitamin D, choline and healthy fats — nutrients that are often lacking in the diets of children from economically weaker sec tions. Also, protein in eggs is eas ily absorbed by the body.
This makes eggs one of the most effi cient sources of nutrition avail able at a relatively low cost. Meanwhile, for children who depend on school meals, the question is not whether soya is a good source of protein or not. The question is whether the overall meal continues to pro vide the complete spectrum of nutrients needed for a healthy source. (Robin Roy is a Senior Jour nalist and former Senior Asso ciate Editor, O Heraldo, Goa)
