Seers in Kalyana Karnataka, Vijayapura threaten stir over including eggs in midday meals

HUBBALLI: Upping the ante of their fight against the government’s decision to introduce eggs in midday meals served to schoolchildren in the backward districts of Kalyana Karnataka and Vijayapura, seers of various mutts in the region have threatened to launch a stir if the government refuses to withdraw the order.
Convener of All India Vegetarians’ Federation Dayanand Swamiji, who is among those leading the fight, told TOI, “Serving eggs in midday meals to students of government, government-aided schools and anganwadis, goes against the tradition of many families.The government’s rationale is that it will help combat malnutrition among children. But there are vegetarian food items as rich in protein and vitamins as eggs. The government must serve multi-vitamin vegetarian meals so that religious sentiments of children from communities that eat only vegetarian food is not hurt. We are not against people eating non-vegetarian food, but school students should not be forced to eat eggs.”
“We will launch our protest in Belagavi on December 20 to exert pressure on the government to withdraw the order. Otherwise, the government will have to set up separate schools and anganwadis for children who come from families that eat only vegetarian food,” he said.
‘Discriminatory move’
President of Basava Dharma Maha Jagadguru Peetha in Kudala Sangama, Jagadguru Mathe Gangadevi opined that serving eggs to one section of students, and bananas to another, is discriminatory. “ The government must serve fruits, milk and other nutritious food items. Seers in this region will hold a meeting to chalk out the course that this protest should take to compel the government to withdraw the decision,” she said.
Jagadguru Tontad Siddaram Swamiji of Yediyur Tontadaraya Samstha Mutt in Gadag said that he had written to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to take cognisance of the opposition to the move, and review the decision.
BJP MLA for Hubballi-Dharwad West constituency Arvind Bellad is supporting the seers opposing the move. Pointing out that there were other ways that could be explored to improve children’s health, Bellad said, “Students must not be forced to eat eggs. The government must provide other nutrition-rich food items.”
In his memorandum to the chief minister, Basavalinga Pattadevaru of the Hiremath Samsthan, Bhalki, has highlighted the inability of children to make an informed decision on the choice of food. “The government must consider serving ‘Satvik’ vegetarian food to all students, regardless of their religion and background,” the memorandum stated.