Almost 150 students out of the 231 refuse to eat at the mid-day meal scheme at ZP High School

The mid-day meal scheme has been introduced in schools with an objective to provide nutritious food to children, particularly those in the rural areas.

But the well-intentioned scheme has become a platform for the upper castes to exhibit their intolerance for those from the marginalised sections. Schoolchildren of this non-descript village in Chigurumamidi mandal refused to eat the food served to them as part of the mid-day meal scheme as “it is cooked by a group of Dalit women”.

Almost two-thirds of the students, about 150 out of the strength of 231, refused to take the meal served to them on Thursday. The refusal was not a one off incident as the Zilla Parishad High School, which has few takers for the mid-day meals, faced similar problems ever since the launch of the scheme.

Elders to blame

What started as criticism of poor quality of food served to them by the students, predominantly the upper castes, ultimately turned out to be the ‘counselling' they received from their elders not to share food with Dalits. A little bit of cajoling revealed how their parents had instructed them against eating the meal prepared and served by Dalits. As a result, only students from the Dalit communities consume the food.

Women belonging to the self-help group (SHG) Chaitanya, who prepare the meal, were taken to believe that the quality of the grain supplied through the public distribution system was sub-standard. They, however, realised the real reason, the caste factor, behind the refusal of majority of students to partake the food cooked and served to them.

SHG members – A. Mallavva, E. Soundarya, K. Swaroopa, and Eshwaramma -- admitted that though they were preparing food for all students attending the school on a given day, only a few were eating it.

Whenever asked as to why they were not eating the food, these students openly state that they would not eat anything prepared and served by Dalits, an SHG member bemoaned.

“We thought untouchability has been rooted out from villages. But what causes concern is the adamant attitude of the village elders who are spoiling young minds,” she said.

Counselling

Contacted by The Hindu about the continuing practice in the school, Mandal Educational officer (MEO) Pavani was cautious in her response. A group of Dalit women engaged to prepare mid-day meals and the school encountered a similar problem in the past. “Children continue the practice in spite of counselling,” she said, and added that they had decided to conduct separate meetings with parents and students on Friday to counsel them against following the practice which also had something to do with politics in the village.