Irene Cardozo
The newspapers scream at us each day about the plight and poverty of India’s people in general and our farmers in particular. It is heart wrenching to see such sights often on the television. So many people live below the poverty line. They cannot afford two square meals a day. Thousands of children suffer from malnutrition. They fall prey to a number of diseases and even death. The labour class resist from sending their children to school. Instead, they take them to work with them. Children work on construction sites, in hotels and even in hazardous workplaces like mills. All this is just to earn a few rupees.
I was horrified to see on television the other day that our Honorable elected Members of Parliament are able to gorge food in the Parliament canteen at bizarre rates. For example, a vegetarian thali costs Rs 12.50, while a non-vegetarian thali is available for just Rs 22. A plate of rice costs Rs 2 while a dosa is available for just Rs 4. The subsidized rates of various food items were to the tune of 250 and 300%. I found the whole thing rather ridiculous. Is there one valid reason why our Parlamentarians should enjoy such luxuries?
If you analyze the situation, it gets more and more incomprehensible. First and foremost, our Parliamentarians get sufficient salaries. They are also paid allowances for the sessions they attend. I do not say for the work they do because we all are witness to how they stall the proceedings in Parliament on flimsy pretexts, abuse and fight sometimes even physically, stage walkouts and the entire session sometimes sees no work done. Inspite of this they keep asking for hikes in their remuneration. All parties are united on this count. Many Parliamentarians come from well-to-do families, then what warrants the subsidies?
In order to attract children to attend school, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan started mid-day meals for the children. Both, the quantity as well as the quality of the food, is compromised. The choice of food items and their preparation is unattractive to the children. There have been several cases of food poisoning when lizards etc. have been found in cooked food. Scams do not spare even children. The latest is the Pankaja Munde ‘chikki scam’.
Some months ago the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made a request in Parliament to the people to give up their subsidy on gas. Why should we do it? If the money saved in this way and the money collected by way of the taxes we pay, is used to fatten our Parliamentarians by giving them food dirt cheap, their food subsidies should be stopped right away.
A proper countrywide survey of the food needs of poor people, especially children, should be made and hygienic and nourishing food should be made available to them, not only at subsidized rates, but even free of cost, if need be. The government can help the self-sacrificing individuals who go out of their way to cook and serve free meals to the hungry poor every day. Then maybe the so-called ‘Acche Din’ will dawn for the poor people in general and the children in particular.
