The row over boiled eggs

The opposition by some religious heads to the Karnataka government’s decision is baffling

The uproar following the Karnataka government’s decision to provide eggs along with mid-day meals to students from Classes 1 to 8 in eight backward districts underscores the role of food in not just nutrition but also in politics, religion and caste. After pressure from a section of religious heads who demanded rollback on the inclusion of eggs, Karnataka’s Primary and Secondary Education Minister B.C. Nagesh said that the government is exploring protein-rich alternatives.

The Minister’s readiness for a change of menu has been criticised not just by a section of nutritionists, health policy experts and activists, but also by the beneficiaries themselves. Students in government and government-aided schools, who were happy that they were finally getting to eat eggs around three times a week, have urged the government to not stop the initiative that was rolled out on December 1 and in fact extend it to all districts in Karnataka. In a video clip that went viral, a Class 8 student from Koppal district warned that students would consume eggs in religious mutts should the government discontinue the scheme bowing to pressure from the heads of mutts. A dipstick survey conducted by the Department of Public Instruction found that over 80% of the children studying in government and aided schools come from egg-eating households.