india

Updated: Jul 15, 2019 16:36 IST

More than six months after the Congress government in Chhattisgarh re-introduced eggs in its mid-day meal scheme to fight chronic malnourishment among school children, a controversy has erupted with a social organisation and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that the move will force “vegetarian” children to eat eggs.

The previous BJP government had removed eggs from the menu of mid-day meals in 2015 saying it hurts religious sentiments of the people.

In January this year, the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government re-introduced eggs in the mid-day meals for students in government schools and bananas for those who are vegetarian to improve their health.

About 37% of the children under the age of 14 in Chhattisgarh are stunted or under-weight, the two indicators of malnourishment. Among tribal children, the malnourishment rate is 44%, said an official in the chief minister’s office who did not want to be identified.

On July 12, about four hundred Kabir Panthis (followers of Kabir, a 15th century saint) submitted a memorandum to Kawardha district collector demanding that eggs be removed from mid-day meal to students and threatened to block highways in the state.

They complained that eggs were “against their customs” as they are vegetarians.

”We don’t want eggs to be served in mid-day meals because it is against our customs. We have demanded that eggs be withdrawn by July 17 or we will protest,” Eshwari Sahu, president of Kabir Panth of Chhattisgarh told reporters on Sunday.

On Monday, the Kabir Panth got support of the opposition BJP, which claimed that distribution of eggs will affect the “harmony” of the state as many communities are vegetarian.

“The government is forcefully making kids non-vegetarian. How can kid choose between non-vegetarian and vegetarian in school? This scheme should be stopped and BJP is against such policy which is against the customs of a community,” said Sacchinand Upasane, BJP spokesperson in Chhattisgarh.

The Chhattisgarh government rubbished the BJP’s claim and said eating egg was not mandatory for kids.

“Nothing is being done forcefully,” said a senior official in the chief minister office, quoted above. “Since the problem of malnutrition is grave in Chhattisgarh, it is very important to serve eggs to the kids.”

Several Congress MLAs have written to chief minister Baghel asking him to continue serving eggs in mid-day meals. About 30 NGOs working in Chhattisgarh under the Right to Food Campaign have also backed the government and said that eggs are necessary to fight malnutrition in the state.

“The parents who don’t want their kids to eat eggs in mid-day meal should be given options like banana and milk but eggs should not removed from the menu. Eggs are rich source of protein for kids and contain important nutrients,” the NGOs said in a joint statement.

Social activist Mamta Sharma cited statistics on malnutrition in the state to bat for implementing a healthy diet. “If we see the statistics of the National Health Authority, we will observe that the malnourished among children is on rise in Chhattisgarh. Our children need a healthy diet which includes egg. Children who eat egg can have it while others can choose not to have it,” she said.