So What’s Cooking up Against ISKCON?

I opened the day’s newspaper with my cup of piping hot Kashayam to have a rude shock. The State Government has instructed the ISKCON to add garlic and onion in their mid-day meal against their age-old practices. It has been since decades that ISKCON is rendering a yeoman’s service to school children by serving hot midday meals to schools spread across six districts in Karnataka. There are 4,42,108 children from 2,814 schools that are benefitted. As an age-old practice, ISKCON does not add any garlic and onion in the food they prepare. The food made at their kitchens is served first to God as ‘bogh’ and thereafter distributed as Prasad to others.

However, it is not just ISKCON alone. There are various other Hindu temples across the country that do not add garlic and onion to their food preparations. It is believed that these foods are rajas and tamas in nature. To support this view, the biggest psychoanalysis ‘Bhagavad Gita’ says, kkIYMXÐU¸»f »fU¯ff°¹fb¿¯f °feïf øYÃfdUQfdWX³f:ll— which means food which is too strong in flavour, too pungent, too much of masala can cause lethargy and reduces the concentration levels. Ashrams across the world, where they teach yoga and dhyana have tested to the effects of rajas and tamas quality of garlic and onion. Hence, they do not add these ingredients to their meals. A good number of my foreign friends who practise yoga and dhyana strongly do not believe in eating pungent garlic and onion to improve their concentration power. Onions due to its high content of oligosaccharides like raffinose and verbascose cause smelly flatus, and garlic smell which linger in the mouth for long is socially obnoxious.

We do appreciate the concern shown by the government in improving the quality of the food. Let us take a look at the qualities of the ingredients. Condiments in food are added to give it a flavour. The condiments have nutrients like oligosaccharides, phytosterols, phytates, saponins etc., that have curative values which take care of health. If anybody who is familiar with Indian vegetarian food would readily agree that the use of other condiments is more in the absence onion and garlic.

Cumin, curry leaves, turmeric have higher phytochemical values than garlic and onion.

Apart from the above nutrients, garlic does have allicin useful to guard cardiac health. But let us not get confused that garlic is the only food that can do this function. In fact Condiments like Hing, coriander seeds, cumin, red chillies, curry leaves, pepper, fenugreek seeds and turmeric have better physiological functions and can target specific ill-fated tissues and cells. Among all the condiments turmeric placed at number one. Curcumin in turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous qualities. It acts as an antibiotic in the body. A pinch of turmeric prevents cold and cough for which school children are susceptible. Alkaloids present in fenugreek seeds have a hypoglycemic effect and help diabetes prevention. Satwik vegetarian meals do have enough of these condiments to take care of children’s health. Hing, coriander seeds, curry leaves improve memory power among children are very much needed but not onion. Curry leaves apart from it phytochemicals rich in carotenoid pigments and other organic acid and healthy fatty acid contents. Encourage children not to throw away the curry leaves served in the meals. Coming to the onion, like any other vegetable it does have health benefits. When we have hundreds of different vegetables and condiments which have the same or even more nutritional values why imposing them in a satwik diet is the question.

The concept of mid-day meal was started way back in the sixties to promote the growth and development of children who showed stunted growth and wasting. Today Mid-day meal walked further ahead to support the overall health of the children. But Garlic and onion are not the only vegetables that contribute nutrients and health. Many other foods have more nutrients and have similar physiological functions. In many families, people have not used garlic and onion throughout life but have lived without any medical aids. So, has the government failed to evaluate the health benefits of a satwik meal? Is the government misguided? To improve the quality of meals garlic and onion are not imperative. The government should supplement the nutrients without hurting the value-based

food practices.