The World Bank estimates that
India is ranked 2nd in the world of the number of children suffering from
malnutrition, after Bangladesh (in 1998), where 47% of the children exhibit a
degree of malnutrition. The prevalence of underweight children in India is
among the highest in the world, and is nearly double that of Sub-Sharan Africa with
dire consequences for mobility, mortality, productivity and economic growth.
The UN estimates that 2.1 million Indian children die before reaching the
age of 5 every year – four every minute – mostly from preventable illnesses
such as diarrhoea, typhoid, malaria, measles and pneumonia. Every day, 1,000 Indian
children die because of diarrhoea alone. According to the 1991 census of India,
it has around 150 million children, constituting 17.5% of India's population,
who are below the age of 6 years.
The sensex-obsessed punters
may not be aware of Global Hunger Index (GHI).
2011 GHI Report ranked India 15th, amongst leading countries with hunger
situation. It also places India amongst the three countries where the GHI
between 1996 and 2011 went up from 22.9 to 23.7, while 78 out of the 81
developing countries studied, including Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam,
Kenya, Nigeria, Myanmar, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Malawi, succeeded in improving
hunger condition.
After reading these data,
gentlemen, you must ask the question why in our country Tatas and Birlas, Ambanis
and Essars, Vedants and Malyas, Ketan Parikhs and Nira Radias, Ramkathas of
Muraris and Annkut (food festivals) of Shree
Ravishakars are grabbing eyeballs? Every fifth child of Uttar Pradesh is
suffering from mal-nutrition and number of such children is around 30 million.
Congress of BJP, Mulayam or Mayavati – can anybody cry for these kids? What is
the caste of these kids? What is the religion of these kids?
In canteen of parliament of a
country, members of parliament are provided tea
in one rupee, soup in five rupee, dal in 1.50 rupee, dosa in four rupee,
veg biriyani in eight rupee and fish in thirteen rupee, anyone who blames Mps would be called
terrorist! Shushma or Sonia. BJP or Congress. Who is not responsible for this
situation?
40 percent of Gujarati
children are suffering from mal-nutrition and Gujarat is producing on billion
eggs annually and its chief minister is boasting of feeding Europe. Most of
these children belong to marginalised sections of society. Most of the
ministers of Modi cabinet are obese, overweight and plump and having more than
70 kg. Who will file RTI to know the quantity of food taken by these glutton
ministers?
- Raju Solanki
