Karnataka State Backward Classes Awareness Forum, Mysuru, has welcomed the State government’s decision to include egg and banana in the midday meal scheme and demanded that all schools across the State should benefit from the decision.
Egg and banana were being served under Akshara Dasoha only in schools of Kalyana Karnataka and the same can be extended to schools all over the State for addressing malnutrition issues in children, the Forum suggested.
The Forum has taken exception to the opposition being expressed by some religious leaders. By doing so, these leaders and the caste-based organisations were trying to subvert the importance of the decision and impose certain food traditions. Egg diet should not be construed as “non-vegetarian food”, according to the Forum.
In this connection, the members of the forum led by its president K.S. Shivaram launched a postcard campaign in Mysuru on Friday seeking extension of egg distribution in all schools and condemning the opposition to distribution of eggs in schools.
In a memorandum to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Mr. Shivaram urged him to extend distribution of eggs in schools across Karnataka instead of confining only to the schools of Kalyana Karnataka, considering the nutrition benefits.
Questioning the rationale behind bringing politics in food traditions, he said “The politics over what food has to be consumed is clearly reflected in the egg distribution.”
Citing the Niti Aayog report of 2020-21, the Forum maintained in the memorandum that “nearly 35 per cent of children are underweight and underdeveloped and about 45 per cent of children are suffering from anaemia”. In the light of this report, the distribution of eggs in schools under the midday meals gains importance, it argued.
He urged those opposing egg distribution in Akshara Dasoha to stop making politics.
The Forum warned of stepping up protests against those opposing the egg diet in the days ahead, if they continued to oppose it.
