India has the maximum number of Zero-Food children. India accounts for half of all Zero-Food children in the world across 92 countries. Are we setting our priorities right?
We live in a strange world.
The other day I was shocked to read some alarming news. India has the maximum number of Zero-Food children. India accounts for half of all Zero-Food children in the world across 92 countries. The absolute number of Zero-Food children in India is 6.7 million (67,00,000). This number is disturbingly high. If we go by the percentage of zero-food children of the total children in India, it is shockingly 19.3 percent. India is only behind Guinea (21.8 percent) and Mali (20.5 percent).
But before I go further, let me clarify what is Zero-food children. Beyond six months of age, children need more than the breast milk of the mother for proper nutrition. Solid and semi-solid food in the diet beyond the age of six months plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of a child. Zero food means children between six and twenty-three months have not consumed solid or semi-solid food within twenty-four hours. Even if they were fed only breast milk, it is inadequate for nourishment. Proper nutrition is essential in overall child growth, brain development, cognition, and school readiness.
It is no wonder that zero-food children come from low-income families. This means that a significant Indian population has no or grossly inadequate income. Also, these families might not have access to food. This is alarming and shocking.
We might, conveniently, remain smug over tall claims of India becoming a world leader, that India is the largest democracy in the world, or that our leaders hobnob with the leaders of other world powers. But the statistics of zero-food children are a blot on our collective consciousness.
But do we care? As I said, we live in a strange world.
We live in a society more interested in discussing the lavish pre-wedding ceremony of the son of India’s richest man. We are more interested in the celebrity guests invited to the party. Who wore what dress, what they ate, how they traveled to the destination. It was a big circus where all the world’s high and mighty participated. And we, who are not invited, stand on the rampart and cheer.
We are surprised to know how a small airport important to the Indian Air Force, for strategic reasons, is compromised and converted into an international airport to serve the cause of this opulent event. So that the international guests, the who-is-who of the world, can travel to the venue without witnessing the squalor of the Indian countryside.
We are curious about some pet elephants — their daily routine, how they are fed, bathed, and pampered. We admire the benevolence of the hosts. The lavish way they take care of stray elephants. What social consciousness.
We are eager to know about the Khans and other Bollywood A-listers. Did they attend for free or also, charged hefty fees, a la Rihanna, the pop star from the USA? The international guests, the who-is-who of the world, what they did, and what they ate.
And the media did not disappoint. Be it various social media platforms, or conventional press. We were constantly fed with the updates of the event for the last few days. Be it the posh drawing rooms of the affluent middle class or the roadside tea stalls of the ordinary, the only topic of discussion in all social circles is this event. The shattering news about the zero-food children and that India is at the top of the heap went unnoticed. This news is too bitter for the taste of the refined and sophisticated people accustomed to the comforts of middle-class affluence.
I am part of a few social media groups. I did not witness any informed discussion on the shocking news of zero-food children in India. A few mentioned it in the passing. But the deluge of other more entertaining and feel-good posts buried this shocking news of India having 50 percent of all zero-food children. Most of us are more comfortable discussing the upcoming elections, cricket, and the opulent pre-wedding bash than the news of zero-food children
Rihanna, the international pop singer was paid an impressive $8 — $9 million, approximately Rs. 66 to 74 crores, to perform in the event. This information is easily available on the Internet. Reportedly this extravagant three-day bash was possible with the cost of a whopping Rs.1200 crore. Not a small amount in any standard. Just imagine, how many zero-food babies can be fed with only one percent of the money spent on the pre-wedding. But I am being naive here.
We consider India to be the world’s largest democracy. We are now heading towards the next parliamentary election in May 2024. The estimated cost to conduct this election would be an astounding Rs.1.20 lakh crore. Some estimate suggests Rs.50,000 crore. Whatever the amount, they are by all means staggering. To make India a democracy, we keep spending this kind of money every five years. I may be naive. But just for the sake of argument, imagine how many zero-food children the government of India can feed with just one percent of this amount.
Money is not the issue. It is the priority we set for ourselves. It is not how much one spends on a wedding or other event. It is not about spending big money to hold general elections. It is all about identifying those things that we consider important in our lives.
Some may argue that individuals can spend their money as they see fit. I do not have a problem with that. Maybe spending so much for the general election is essential. After all, we are a democracy of 1.42 billion people spread over 3,287,263 square kilometers of landmass.
But I am concerned about our choices. And our reactions to the events and news happening around us. We are awed by someone spending Rs.1200 crores for the pre-wedding bash of his son. But, as a nation, we are unable to feed our babies, but we do not feel alarmed, disturbed, or outraged. We prioritize spending millions on elections while our young ones go hungry.
Historians and social scientists say the educated middle class drives societal changes. My concern is that I am finding the Indian middle class absent from discussing issues that require thought and involvement. Democracy never throws up easy solutions. That is why we need to form informed opinions to influence the changes that are good for the maximum.
Am I being naive?
Originally published at https://barun.substack.com.
