The 14 signatories of the letter wrote that they were “deeply concerned” about attempts to move to a centralized kitchen model in partnership with private and religious organizations. (Getty)
Onions, garlic and eggs must become an integral part of children's diets because they are willing to eat them, but religious organizations may not provide the same services, campaigners said in a letter
A group of activists has written to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy demanding withdrawal of the decision to provide free breakfast and midday meal to 28,000 school children in Kodangal in partnership with the Akshay Patra Foundation.
The 14 signatories of the letter wrote that they were “deeply concerned about attempts to move to a centralized kitchen model in partnership with private and religious organizations, rather than in a decentralized manner strengthening local communities and the current system of women cooking in schools”.
They were concerned that the Akshay Patra Foundation, part of the Hare Krishna Charitable Foundation, might impose its own dietary restrictions on the children.
The letter reads: “Religious organizations like the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Foundation often have their own agendas and views about food that they impose on local communities. For example, Khanna The foundation in Takht refused to add onions and garlic to its food as these were not considered “satvik”. Additionally, due to religious beliefs, these organizations do not provide eggs and meat. We learned about a similar experience in Jharkhand, but the same experience was met with resistance from many indigenous students.
BRS leader Dr RS Praveen Kumar had raised the same concerns a few days ago. Referring to Also, meat/fish/eggs are an important part of the diet because according to established science, meat/fish/eggs are rich sources of protein and vitamins. I am not against Akshay Patra, but I am certainly against the inclusion of foreign food. Food habits imposed on poor and voiceless children, no matter how “satvik” it is [sic]”.
The letter echoes that sentiment. “As you know, the inclusion of eggs in mid-day meals and anganwadi centers in the state is appreciated across the country. This not only makes the meals nutritionally superior but also more popular among the people of the state. In Telangana In such a state, onions, garlic, eggs, etc. must become an integral part of children's diet because they are willing to eat them.
They demanded that the government should not work with centralized kitchens like Akshay Patra but should work towards strengthening the decentralized cooking model. This will not only create employment opportunities for the local community, including women, but also enable children to eat according to their taste preferences. In support of this, they cited the National Food Security Act 2013.
They write that the Act provides that: “Every school and anganwadi mentioned in sub-section (1)(b) shall be provided with cooking, drinking water and sanitation facilities” (5.2), but only if Exceptions allowed only under circumstances: Urban areas should include centralized kitchen facilities if required. This understanding was reached after numerous discussions and deliberations inside and outside Parliament.
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