Food security for India meaning the citizens of India have adequate quantity of food to put in their hungry tummies at least twice a day. Is it also about quality? Well, yes, it has to be, lest a stale, inedible morsel makes body's defense non-functional or wears away its vitality.
Providing food to the masses has been the top priority of kingdoms and empires of the history. In India we have had concept of 'Ram Rajya' where every citizen in state was secure materially and nutritionally. India is the land of Gods. we have even Gods exclusively assigned the mandate of providing food to hungry. Kingdoms around the world which failed to fulfill this need had to go down in history as victims of revolution. One can cite Russia or France of the eighteenth and twentieth centuries or more recently autocratic regime of Mr. Ben Ali in Tunisia in North Africa, mother country of Arab Spring. So if you are a king, queen or president, provide food to people you must.
India is home to many poor souls, unfortunately. They are poor to a degree that they cannot have two square meals a day. They have rights though. There are many of them, Right to be equally treated, right to worship the God you like, Right to live. But how to live with an empty stomach? Should they eat their rights? The poor was left alone in the search for answers, until now.
The government claims to find an answer by enriching the poor with another right, Right to food. This one, seriously, is substantial provided implemented well. So what's this right? If you are poor (there's a raging debate as to what proves that you are poor, but let's just leave that for now) you are entitled to get 5 kg of food grains per kg per person in family for a month at throwaway prices of Rs 3, 2, Re 1. if you are pregnant too you should be above 18 yrs of age and mother only one or a first time pregnant to get additional benefits of monthly cash payments and hot cooked meals (don't imagine anything close to KFC or MacDonald meals, but it's no less for them!). Children between 6 to 14 years of age have been given benefits under this right. IF YOU DON'T GET FOOD YOU GET THE MONEY. So, it gets really revolutionary here.
Alright, so it looks pretty sure for the poor that they will finally have assured square meals a day. but , the picture is not rosy for them yet. What about the hungry bureaucrats of Food Corporation of India, hungry transport guy who ferries the grains to fair price shops, beneficiaries who are so hungry that they usurp the timid ignorant other's share and the rapacious fair price shop dealers?
Government believes that they can be taken care of by the reforms in the Public Distribution System that are underway. What's the basis of this claim? Well, 'AADHAR' is the basis ! Mr. Nandan Nilekani hopes to do a good job by eliminating bogus beneficiaries, ghost beneficiaries, reducing leakages through end- to end computerization. So people will be able to track their food grains as we track our parcels. Besides, village Panchayats and women led Self Help Groups are being involved in opening fair price shops to give sense of ownership to the beneficiaries. The poor pray with their hungry tummies that these steps succeed for they are promising.
There are certain loopholes also ailing the current design of right. For instance, the quality part of food security seems to be compromised as no pulses are being provided for making up protein requirements. Other micro nutrients such as Vitamins minerals are being ignored by only providing cereals. Further the business of targeting the poor for providing benefits has proven counterproductive as many are excluded erroneously. Covering the entire population rather than 67% of citizens as envisaged presently will be better strategy. It has been seen that a benefit meant only for poor turned out to be poor benefit.
So much for feeding the destitute, but definitely it's a worthwhile goal. After all, how can India remain secure and stable when more than 50% of population who is young is also hungry? When more than 40% children can't even attain their height, what heights in life can they attain? What heights can such an India attain? The talk of lack of funds for implementing this right on ground is valid. Futility of subsidies when leakages are rampant is also rational. Skyrocketing Fiscal Deficit is a nightmare surely. But, this abysmal condition cannot be wished away by rational arguments. We have to make steps like this work. We have to arrange the moneys for the sake of a bright future of our malnourished children, our hungry citizens our India in the making.
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