H E Y MOVEMENT
(Hunger Elimination and You)
“Service for a noble cause to save human life”
Dr. V. RAJAGOPAL
Preamble: The report that India is placed in the 66th position out of 88 countries for Global Hunger Index (GHI), along with poorest Nations like Ethiopia is the saddest news (International Food Policy Research Institute, IFPRI Washinton). India is identified as a country with ‘lack luster performance in hunger elimination during the last 18 years’. Out of 930 million ‘hungry’ people in the world, India hosts nearly 250 million, almost 25 to 28% of Indian population. The country has the dubious distinction of being categorized under ‘serious to alarming to extremely alarming Nation’, where many States have the worst affected ‘hungry’ people with Madhyapradesh topping the list. Many of the affected people go to bed without food for days together, leading to unregistered starvation deaths. The fact that malnutrition and mortality of children under five years of age contribute to ‘hunger index’ speaks about the insensitivity, in spite of death of thousands of poor children per day. Abject poverty, hunger, starvation deaths are prevalent in the country to deplorable level, but many people are ignorant and indifferent about the serious human problem, as social consciousness is much lower among the citizens.
Contrasting scenario: While the poorest of the poor struggle hard to fetch a quarter of a square meal per day, but denied even that much for days together, leading to extreme weakness and starvation deaths, the middle class to upper class to the richest people, blessed by Almighty enjoy over and above their requirement of food, exemplified by extravaganza in functions like marriages, birth day parties, religious and cultural festivals. How much of food items are carelessly wasted on such occasions is known to everyone, but the attitude is one of indifference to the fact that such wasted food is equivalent to feeding hundreds and thousands of most needy people with prolonged ‘hunger’. It seldom occurs to one’s mind that starvation death is the cruelest punishment to human beings, unfortunate lot in the Indian society. The poorest people are resigned to their fate, whereas the ‘haves’ feel their blessed to enjoy life.
Genesis of HEY: A visit to the IFPRI by the author and discussion with the scientists who work on GHI around the world, with special reference to the situation in India, where the GHI was high due to malnutrition and mortality of children below five years prompted the author to find a solution to the National problem. It is a shame that fairly rich India should be in such bad situation on hunger front. Earlier, articles on hunger index and food production, inflation were published. The inner consciousness with the blessings of Almighty propelled the idea to launch a movement to eliminate hunger to save humanity. The idea crystallized into a format to involve everyone and aptly coined “HEY movement”, to create awareness on the public with the humble appeal to consider the problem in its totality and to participate in eliminating hunger. The firm belief that many Indians would agree to understand the problem and come forward to render helping hand, made me to venture into the HEY movement.
Divine duty: All that is required by many of us, the chosen fortunate people blessed by Almighty, who are well placed and can afford to show much needed compassion and concern to the poorest ‘hungry’ people, is to act with firm commitment to eliminate ‘hunger’ altogether by providing food to the extent possible to our highly neglected brethren in society who feel they are the cursed lot and unfit to live. They have the right to live as all others and need confidence to live as normally as all of us do with our family. So it is nothing but a ‘divine duty’ to rescue such people who experience prolonged ‘hunger’ and on the verge of losing life.
Current position: Although it is the duty of the Government of India and States to help the ‘hungry’ people to pull out from distress by providing adequate food, it is not possible for the Governments alone to address the magnitude of the problem of ‘hunger’ in the country with nearly 250 million people. Even if funds are allocated for poverty alleviation, hunger, shelter, health of affected people, it does not serve the purpose to the desired level, as revealed by the GHI remaining at high level for years together and the critical comments of the IFPRI. So, elimination of ‘hunger’ should be peoples program with agenda that takes care of all the affected people. Though many private organizations, trusts, temples are undertaking ‘free food’ scheme (Annadhaanam) for poor people, still the number is too high to be tackled by them. Noon meal scheme for the school children, a laudable action initiated by the Government of Tamilnadu and being followed by other Governments, is not adequate as many children in India die of malnutrition according to IFPRI and WHO reports. More often free food is provided to people already sufficiently fed or those who can buy food and seldom the really unfed ‘hungry’ are the beneficiaries. The problem can be solved to some extent with involvement of individuals with personal efforts.
Compassionate appeal: In this context the Nobel Laureate for Peace Mother Teresa once said “if you cannot feed 100 people, feed at least one per day”. This compassionate appeal from the person who rendered selfless service to Society and the poor in India, should stir the heart of every individual the spirit to serve the most ‘hungry’ by initiating action to feed the poorest of the poor. Hunger elimination will be the noblest cause in human society for everyone to get involved whole heartedly.
Novel initiative: With the above in mind the author is ambitious to initiate a National movement aptly coined “HUNGER ELIMINATION AND YOU” (HEY movement) with the objective – to feed the poorest of the poor and most ‘hungry’ people in the area and save their lives and the goal – to wipe out ‘hunger’ totally and make India hunger-free, with pride.
Action plan: There are two ways to eliminate ‘hunger’, depending on one’s own convenience and situations – i) to donate money to registered/recognized trusts, organizations, temples etc involved in ‘free food’ schemes for poor people on various occasions. In this, you are not directly involved but depend on the organizers to serve the cause, ii) to provide ‘food’ with your own ( and family members) hands to persons plagued with ‘hunger’ on occasions like birthdays, wedding anniversary, marriages, festivals etc. In this you get the experience of literally serving the most ‘hungry’ persons as a commitment to divine duty. The first option is for those who have no time but enough money to entrust the job to organizations; however, the personal satisfaction of having contact with the poor people will be absent. The second option ensures a rare experience of serving food and witnessing the joy in their faces with whole hearted gratitude. You can serve ‘food’ either prepared at home (most appropriate) or obtain from temples as ‘prasadams’ blessed by Almighty or buy bread, bun, fruits. Whichever way you fill the stomach of the ‘hungry’ persons it is a noble cause unparalleled and not only you get satisfied but feel blessed too by Almighty.
Occasions for undertaking HEY: There are number of occasions when ‘hungry’ people can be fed in our diversified society. A) Birthdays of yourself, wife and children – In addition to the party you host to the friends and relatives, set apart a percentage of money to spend on HEY with either of the options. B) Marriages, house warming etc – try to avoid extravaganza and reserve some percentage of money to feed ‘hungry’ people; do not feed them with leftover food items as that would be most hurting as if condemned human beings, instead prepare few items afresh to serve them so as to make them feel they are being really cared . C) Religious functions, special poojas in temples – since children are the worst affected due to starvation, show extraordinary consideration to ‘hungry’ children. If you are offering milk, curd, fruits to Gods in temples, set apart at least 25% to feed children with acute malnutrition; if served with a glass of milk or offered fruits they would regain health and be grateful to you forever, with such an innocent smile, an unforgettable experience to touch your heart. God will really bless you for such magnanimity and concern for young children. D) National festivals like Independence Day, Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanthi and other occasions like Diwali, Christmas, Ramzan, New years Day are also suitable to make the poor and ‘hungry’ feel happy and enjoy as much the family members enjoy the days with you. E) Death anniversaries – on these days feed particularly the elderly and disabled men and women and also offer small token of some money, with reverence and gratitude that you got an opportunity to eliminate hunger. So there are ample opportunities for you to help the ‘hungry’ with that innate spirit to serve human society. In fact you can serve the poor like ATM (anytime movement for HEY) either in your place or while you are on tours, pilgrimage etc. You just have to ignite that innate spirit keeping in mind how ‘hunger’ is a curse for few souls who require your attention. Individuals, group of families or friends can feed the people with ‘hunger’ on any special occasion like graduation, new job, engagement, foreign assignment etc.
Spread the message: As ‘hunger’ is a life and death problem being encountered by millions of people in the country, as patriotic and compassionate Indians it is our duty to rescue the affected people as far as possible. It is not difficult to reach the vast population with the advanced communication technology with the message on HEY movement. The e mails can be sent to all the relatives and friends with attachment on HEY movement, with a request to forward the divine message to their group of people; likewise the information can spread to thousands of people if one is convinced of the value of human life in jeopardy for people with acute ‘hunger’. The success of the HEY movement depends on the sincerity of purpose and the call for divine duty to eliminate ‘hunger’ throughout the year on some or other occasions listed. If implemented with pride and honesty few lakhs of people can be saved from ‘hunger’ in reasonable time. Is it not possible for you to send the message just sitting at home spending valuable time for a noble cause? Act swiftly with prayer.
Highlights of HEY: HEY movement is just an individual’s strong desire to create awareness among the people on the crucial problem of ‘hunger’ and is not a trust or organization; it does not collect any donations from any one, hence avoids the problems of accounting; it is purely a voluntary movement by one’s own conviction but not under compulsion; it just believes in motivating the right thinking people to take up the cause of ‘hungry’ people in the country; it has no religious, caste, creed, color appeal to undertake the task of eliminating ‘hunger’; it proposes to maintain a list of those who responded positively to the appeal and eagerness to serve the affected people; it plans to maintain the register with the names of those who undertake the service with details and bring out a report at frequent intervals to attract more and more people towards the total elimination of hunger and make India a hunger-free Nation ultimately. We the Indians cannot be passive onlookers when millions suffer for food and make IFPRI place the country with high GHI. It is the responsibility of every Indian living in India or abroad to see that India’s image as a country with largest ‘hungry’ people is wiped out.
Do you wish to join the HEY movement ? send the reply…. JAI HIND !!!
Dr.V.Rajagopal, Retd Director, CPCRI Kasaragod, Kerala, is now working on issues connected with ‘hunger index’ (poverty and livelihood), environment, drought management, capacity building for self help group of women and youth through technologies to earn income.
Flat 102, Sri Kataaksham, 18-4-60 Railway colony
Sri Paada Eurekha Residency, TIRUPATI – 517 501, A.P, 0877-2287083
094412 00217, e mail id – rajvel44@gmail.com
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