When we are about to start a new food scheme for the masses, we have to deal with a tragedy. On July 16, 27 school children died after eating the free mid-day meal given to them by their school in Bihar state. Forensic science lab had said, that the poisonous insecticide in the oil used in cooking had killed them. When grains and seeds used for pressing oil are stored, proper care is not taken. If insecticide spills in the granaries where these are stored, no body would bother. Moreover when the food served is free, we assume that there is no need to care. We assume that these poor persons are not worthy of anything better . We assume "so what" little chemical had mixed with food. But all human lives are precious. Casual attitude in storage, careless attitude in preparing the meals for poor children and having any poor sense of hygiene have all contributed to the deaths of school children. It is better if free food was not ever offered. At least they would be alive. This applies to the huge Food Security Scheme which is about to commence. If we give grains (5 Kilogram per person) at nominal costs, we must make sure it is not laced with poison. Carelessness in storage and distribution will mean that we will be the first government in the world which is so careless that it had poisoned its own people. Are the lives of poor people so cheap that we treat these free food schemes so casually? People and their well-being is central focus of a country, we must realize this truth.
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