The Hungry Planet

“O God! I thank you for the food provided to me, make me worthy of the food, that I am going to take."

I am accustomed to chant these sacred lines, which I along with my chums was taught to utter before taking the meal. However, do we ever think about the finest creations of the same god for whom even stale bread seems to be rare commodity to achieve? Do I make any hyperbole when I concede a bitter fact that --'balanced diet' and 'a la carte' -- these sorts of words are unfamiliar to them? Their marathon to manage a square meal really tolls the bells of mind and shakes the foundation of term "standard of living".

My whole agony derives its inspiration, rather elements from the report "The state of food insecurity in the world "published recently by FAO .According to which when human beings are planning to spend their vacation on moon ,near about 850 millions of us are engaged in a savage battle against 'hunger' and 'malnutrition'. Out of which 820 million people live in developing countries .Every year ,near about 50 lakh children (below five year of age) belonging to third- world countries screams and lastly sleeps in the lap of their mother, that too forever...{sadly India contributes 24.2 lakhs to it}.

So, will not the bills on the issues like education, economic- growth, IT sound hollow and somehow penny-pinching to them? When the world is busy in setting new milestones in the fields like nuclear science, space research, defence technology ,on the other side ,who will care for the grim fate of people who look towards World Bank and FAO for few bags of grains. Is not this very fact authenticates the very quote of Rudyard Kipling "White man's burden" even at the time when we are going to celebrate our 56th republic day.

Still I am optimistic as we have the potential to emerge as a superpower and I have some suggestions for solving this food crisis----

1. NEED TO HAVE A MANAGEMANT BODY AT CENTRAL LEVEL

This body will implement the existing govt. policies regarding ration-distribution strictly, thus checking black marketing and price hike of staple food. It will abolish corruption and provide innovative guidelines in making new laws, which will be executed, on economic basis and not on caste or regional basis.

2. BETTER UTILIZATION OF FUNDS

The financial aids given by world bodies, instead of falling prey to the bureaucratic hawks, should reach to the needy people directly. The govt. should also encourage bonafide NGO is working on grass root level.


3. SHUN THE CONVENTIONAL FARMING TECHNIQUES

Due to influence of urbanisation until 2020 AD, only 55% of the total Indian population will have farming as their occupation. Therefore, it is high time to focus on the urgent need of scientific temperament and better irrigation facility. This will help us in rising as a self-independent nation as far as the productivity is concerned.

4. BETTER CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN STATES

A better understanding among states will play a vital role in channelising the resources like buffer-stocks and controlling the prices. The proper food management, thus, save the live of the people living in drought or flood prone area.

5. ERADICATION OF PROVERTY

The time demands our attention towards the Gandhian thought of setting small-scale industries and new co-operatives. The need is also to make the provisions of giving loans and other helps to the poor more transparent. Generation of employment should be given the top priority. We will have to concentrate on the downtrodden class and the policies made must consider their problems as Amratya Sen also emphasised upon that.

Then only every citizen of the world will thank the god in true sense and this world will become a better place to live in for all of us.

Alok kumar

B.A. (Hons.),

Foreign Language, Korean

Narmada,

Jawaharlal Nehru University,