Managing "2 June ki roti"

Remember the famous dialogue from Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Deewar' when he tells his younger brother Shashi Kapoor, an honest police officer, that "tumhare usool, tumhare adarshon ko goonth kar do waqt ki roti nahin banai ja sakti" (you can't manage two meals with your principles and ideals)?.

Bhoomi Goyal
Updated on: 2 Jun 2023 6:52 PM GMT
Managing 2 June ki roti
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Hunger Children in India

Indian philosophy and values lay more stress on contentment unlike the Western philosophy that emphasizes on wealth. Our sages have said that an individual should be content if he gets "2 june ki roti" and not yearn for anything more.

Well. If you think it has anything to do with the month of June, you are wrong.

In the Avadhi, the word June means time. Some also say "2 waqt ki roti". Remember the famous dialogue from Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Deewar' when he tells his younger brother Shashi Kapoor, an honest police officer, that "tumhare usool, tumhare adarshon ko goonth kar do waqt ki roti nahin banai ja sakti" (you can't manage two meals with your principles and ideals)?.

This proverb indicates that everyone should seek food 2 times a day only. But it is not possible for many people to manage even this. Everyone works hard for arranging the food. There are millions in India who can’t manage two meals a day.

According to a report of the National Family Health Survey in 2017 19 crore people don't have enough food. After Covid-19 the government is providing free food to the millions who are below the poverty line.

Source: Global Hunger Report

According to a report of Global Hunger Index (GHI) India ranks 107 out of 121 countries in the world. GHI score of India in 2000 was 38.8%. It declined to 29.1% in 2022 indicating improvement in the situation. 16.3% of our population is undernourished.

According to a report of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Odisha ranks at the top in the hunger list followed by Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh which occupy second and third spot respectively.

Another report from National Health Survey in 2017 shows that approximately 19 crore people in the country were compelled to sleep on empty stomach every night. Approximately 4500 children die every day under the age of five due to hunger in India.

What government is doing?

POSHAN Abhiyan: It is launched by Ministry of Women and Child development in 2018. The aim of this abhiyan was to reduce hunger, stunting, undernutrition among women and children.

National Food Security Act, 2013: It legally entitled up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidised food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.

Bhoomi Goyal

Bhoomi Goyal

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