Protein Shaken

This week, the Maharashtra government announced that it was withdrawing funds for  eggs and sugar to students in the mid-day meal scheme of government schools. Of the two, one is good for health and the other is bad. One is is a target of vegetarian bullying and the other is what India overdoses on. This measure would have been good news if only sugar was targeted but by depriving  students of eggs the state is going against sound nutritional wisdom.

The money saved thus from eggs is Rs 50 crores and in the grand scheme of government expenses not even a drop in the ocean. And it wasn’t like every student was forced to eat eggs. They had a choice. No vegetarian student was adversely affected. Sugar, on the other hand, is being increasingly recognised as a major culprit in the lifestyle disease epidemic exploding across the world including India.

The movement against eggs is not restricted to Maharashtra. Earlier Madhya Pradesh and Goa took similar measures. Why are eggs important for young Indian bodies? Because there is a great deficiency of proteins among them and, short of becoming entirely non vegetarian, eggs is a mid-point to make up for the shortfall. There is a belief that dal is sufficient for proteins but it doesnt add much to to the recommended daily intake. The only thing that could actually lead to a decent amount of proteins for vegetarians is paneer, but that is just too expensive for most Indian families to consume on a regular basis. Eggs are cheap. Students were anyway getting only one egg a week as per the policy. What Maharashtra should have done is emulate some of the south Indian states and increase the quantity provided. Instead, it folded before the strident voices of vegetarians because no other explanation makes sense.

India is imagined as a country of vegetarians. In fact, surveys have repeatedly shown that the majority are non vegetarians. Vegetarianism becomes an exclusive preserve only at the very top of the caste hierarchy. Indians might not be like western nations where meat is consumed daily, but eating it occasionally is common. A percentage of even vegetarians would have no issue with their children being near  another child eating eggs. How many vegetarians complain about airlines serving non vegetarian food?  When they want to, they adjust to environments where non vegetarian food is present. Removing a source of good proteins from young children who need it ought to be reconsidered but probably wont.

childreneggsepidemichealthIndian familiesMaharashtramid-day meal schemenutritionWeb Exclusive