It is important for us to focus on the role of science in determining various structures in a democracy. Some of you are well aware of how science in India has been stunted by many factors. Of course, the fact that section of Indian scientists have uncritically used information that has come from the West is one of the many problems. We don’t think what is required for this country, whatever we are fed, we are very happy to accept it. But the second factor is, that in India, scientists have not thought about anything original. What are the new things India has offered the world after 1947? Nothing. We talk about ‘zero’ – in fact our contribution has been a big ‘zero’. There is nothing in science that we have offered the world. And those Indians who have done something, have gone abroad and worked under Western systems.
So why this state of affairs?
The trouble is, we have a modern system of consumption in this country even as our mindset is deeply ingrained in caste hierarchies. This has led to tremendous distortions. You have modern systems coming in with satellites and products like cars, mobiles and aircrafts, but the mindset is deeply ingrained in the caste hierarchy and feudal memory. Now, in such a situation, depending on who you are, scientist or bureaucrat, the tendency is for traditional backward thinking, which a person has grown up with, to come to the forefront.
But their mindset was also limited by the ‘curd rice’ tradition they themselves grew up in. The vegetarian food culture was the only culture upper caste scientists from southern India grew up in and were familiar with.
Banishing animal protein
In the case of nutrition and food, people who have been deciding the food policies in this country invariably were upper caste scientists – be it MS Swaminathan, S Varadarajan or Gopalan. Now these upper caste scientists, who have been controlling this area of science and policy, took it on themselves to decide what constitutes ‘Indian culture’ and ‘Indian diet’. So – if you look at the science and research in the country from the 50s, 60s and 70s, several things become obvious. We had the worst famine in the 1960s, very low food production and scientists did have a big challenge ahead. These group of scientists were tasked with the responsibility of tackling the severe food crisis. The government had to consult them as they were the experts in their field. So the Swaminathans and Gopalans sat together and planned for the country. But their mindset was also limited by the ‘curd rice’ tradition they themselves grew up in. The vegetarian food culture was the only culture upper caste scientists from southern India grew up in and were familiar with.
They were, however, very good at their arithmetic. They could calculate the amount of per capita rice and pulses required for the population. But their imagination did not extend beyond arithmetic to the lives of people. So when they drafted their plans, they did not want to talk much about pulses. There was no fish, no eggs, no meat, no beef, not even fruits in the diet they prescribed! If you look at the diet that is given in this government publication ‘Nutrition value of Indian foods,’ it is based purely on cereals – rice, wheat, millet, jawar, but not pulses.
Their solution – Indians should get their calories from cereals. Why cereals? Because Swaminathan’s area of expertise was cereals and that was what he could take care of – rice and wheat. As a result of this emphasis, government gave huge huge subsidies for rice and wheat. In fact big farmers – and capital formation did take place at that time – of Punjab, western UP and Andhra Pradesh got maximum amount of subsidy to grow cereals. No problem with that – but the PDS systems were set up and cereals got pumped into the market.
Now what does this mean for people? For one, pulse production started falling and today consumption of pulses is less than 30 gm. So pulses, which were a major source of protein, according to these very scientists, was not handled at all.
Protein is so important for us. Why do we need protein? To grow, for our muscles. But protein comes from eggs and animal fat. It could be chicken, mutton, beef or pork. Without adequate protein we have stunted growth. It is a very unfortunate situation, but we have to understand, that the body makes adjustments for poverty. In a poverty situation, we don’t immediately ask for food. Instead, the body adjusts, the body structure adjusts. Children just don’t grow, they do not gain any weight and the body makes all the adjustments to lack of food. After a time, the body starts crumbling and then is it labeled ‘starvation’ !
Fact is, over 60 years, scientists have erased the memory of ‘child feeding’ that was there in every household. Doctors will never advise patients on diet – they will never say ‘take eggs or meat.’ At the most they will say, ‘have toast’.
People are not beggars
People are not beggars. they have a right to good food. What our scientists have done is erased the memory of good protein that was traditionally present, because of their narrow mindset. They said ‘animal protein is not desirable.’ They constantly refer to the West. They say, “Look at the West, they eat red meat and have heart attacks.” But Western people eat large chunks of meat, may be even half kilo at a time. In India, people eat tiny portions, divided among the family. Where is the comparison? Here, 90 percent people have anemia. For good health, you need good protein.
So instead of this, what have scientists done? They have explained that if you eat rice and dal in the proportion of 4:1 at every meal, it is good enough. Wonderful science, but no application. So by this proportion – and mind you, this proportion has to be maintained for every meal – you get enough protein. Not good, but just about enough. But where is the implementation of this formula in PDS? In the beginning of the month, you may get rice, while pulses may come at the end of the month. It is true ration shop owners are not supposed to know about nutrition, but experts should have surveyed around villages to find out what people eat and what is available easily. When the PDS system is so poor, people can’t wait till the end of the month for supply to come, they put rasam, chilli, onions or anything available in the rice. As a result of this, 50 percent of children today are hungry. Their body weight is so low because of constant hunger, that they have lost their appetite.
A good diet is one with animal protein
We often ask, why does the child not eat? Even mothers remain baffled as to why the child won’t eat.
Fact is, over 60 years, scientists have erased the memory of ‘child feeding’ that was there in every household. Doctors will never advise patients on diet – they will never say ‘take eggs or meat.’ At the most they will say, ‘have toast’. Doctors are good at treating heart diseases, but without good protein you are more likely to be prone to diabetes and heart diseases. This is so common among poor Dalits that it is like an epidemic.
That is why we have the right to good diet. A good diet is mutton, chicken, beef. Perhaps not everyday, but it should be part of quality diet. The diet can include small animals, insects, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits and berries, along with curds, milk and nuts. But if you look at the diet scientists have given us, it has reduced the requirement of calories to only calories from cereals.
In India, tribals and athletes come from the Dalit community because their diets have animal protein. The archers and sprinters, they are future of our country. The best athletes come from tribal areas. This is the population that has a future. This is the indication of what is wrong with our food policies. Scientists must close shop and may be go West. We have to rethink food, diet and culture from the perspective of our tradition and what is desirable for health children.
April 4, 2012
https://www.dalitcamera.com/dr-veena-shatrugna-on-casteist-national-food-policy/