Issues With The Karnataka Government Raised Due To The Distribution Of Egg In The Midday Meal

C.S. Dwarakanath, the previous Chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for

Backward Classes, went a step further and urged that meat be included in the midday meal, along with eggs, to combat childhood malnutrition.

The government should include meat in the noon meal, not only eggs. The majority of youngsters suffer from anaemia, which is caused by a lack of vitamin B12, which can be remedied by eating more meat. Mr. Dwarakanath told The Hindu that the government cannot deny the majority of children of their access to nutritious food of their choice just because a few people don't like it. He said that if the government reverses its decision, he will take legal action.

S.M. Jamadar, secretary of Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha, said his organisation had no objections as long as schoolchildren were provided a vegetarian choice.

Diet is a personal choice, according to Pandit Aradhya swami, head of the Sanehalli branch of Sirigere sect. Differentiating between vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods is quite difficult. Even mother's and cow milk are non-vegetarian in some ways.

Doctors frequently urge people to eat eggs and meat in order to improve their health. As a result, we cannot force egg and meat consumption on everyone. Diet is a personal choice that should not be influenced by others. Others should not decide what one should or should not consume. t

Vishwaradhya Satyampete, a Lingayat scholar, dismissed the resistance to egg in the noon meal, claiming that the 12th-century vachana movement might have been broad since it involved all oppressed and marginalised communities respecting their meals.

On December 1, a group of Bidar organisations, including the Republican Party of India (RPI), Dalita Vidyarthi Parishat, Ramabhai Bhajna Team, Janwadi Mahila Sanghatan, and Gonda Vidyarthi Sanghatane, submitted a memorandum to the Bidar Deputy Commissioner, urging the government to stick to its decision to provide eggs to schoolchildren.

In October, the government issued a circular requiring local authorities to add egg and banana in midday meals in schools in seven backward districts - Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari (and Vijayanagara) and Vijayapura – where children were suffering from severe malnutrition. Bananas are an alternative for children who do not eat eggs.

However, the initiativehad widespread support from teachers and parents across religion and caste lines, was intended to increase school attendance while also improving the health of malnourished children. According to reports, an internal poll conducted by the Additional Commissioner of Public Instruction indicated that almost 80% of children were eager to eat egg in their noon meal. Meanwhile,several Lingayat organisations, such as the Rashtriya Basava Dal, had spoken out against the government's decision.