The last grain on the plate

With the pandemic souring on our doors, it did provide the avenue of one good cause – letting go of the food wastages in magnanimous weddings due to the number of guest restrictions. It’s a social compulsion in India to hold bigger weddings and make it a life event by expending on decorations, clothes, people, and food. This industry is growing and with it the economic boost that it brings with it. In the morning when tons of food is wasted and thrown away, it casts poor on the record of a country dealing with severe malnutrition problem among the hungry populace. During several famines situation, Britishers had held Grand darbars and never shied in arranging the luxuries. This had antagonized the nationalists and the masses every time for the cause of independence. Now that we are independent, what has changed? Nothing…

Every upper and middle-middle class Indian who has the luxury for extra food on the plate, think minimum before leaving it. No images of skinny feeble & dying children come before their eyes. We waste it. We do not care. During this pandemic time, many people from many strata had supply issues for the grains and other eatables. It caused hue and cry in social media. People were okay with whatever they could get on their stomach. We saved food in a way. The local administration had to plug in the gap and they coordinated through various helpline numbers, social media posts, and direct contact. Local people also clubbed in. Many stranded migrant people were helped in this way. Every ounce of extra food was cared about. Will this sustain the time? We Indians have a habit of forgetting. We quickly get on with the good times. I wish we do.

People and Hindu spiritual leaders have a say that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. It’s the way that we live in India and our practices that reflect one being Hindu. We have objectified every item in this universe. A typical Hindu would wake up in his bed and touching the land and asking for blessings. Next, he would look towards the sun and many would give water to the Sun. While eating food, we call it ‘Anya Goddess’ and worship it by garlanding it with Basel leaf and circumventing the plate with water. He would shy in leaving even a single piece of food grain on the plate especially when he is a marginal farmer who has tilled in the land. This is also seen in many other religions as people pray to their Gods and thank him/her for the food and they express gratitude. In Islam the concept of fasting during the month of Ramzan help in ingraining the values of the worth of food...

This calls for reflection on our part. These days when people don proudly on their individual religious identity, it's not worth it to go without its telling practices. While on one hand there is an increasing population and a severe lack of resources to cater to the need of every individual, we are left with the proper management of what is with us, else we are called a hypocrite. 

There are several non-governmental organizations and start-ups which have come forward to rationalize the situation. They would collect the food from the hotels and distribute them to places of need. In many hotels, corporate messes and college hostels, they now show statistical and imagery placards and weight the left food which helps in enforcing the awareness. We still have a long way to go! Save the last grain!

Antarman se kabhi kabhi - अंतर्मन से कभी कभी