Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Where there is food there is life' that was published in Newsband

Where there is food there is life

The National Food Security Bill (NFSB) could not be passed owing to continuous disruptions of Parliament. The opposition parties went out of their way to scuttle this move. The pretexts used by opposition parties include the coal scam, the Chinese incursion in Ladakh, the plight of an Indian prisoner in Pakistan, a case of child rape, the creation of Telangana, and the price of onions, to name a few.

Other important social legislations are also languishing. For example, a bill that could give enormous relief from excruciating pain to millions of cancer patients, by removing outdated restrictions on the use of morphine, has sunk without a trace.

As far as NFSB is concerned, a constructive resolution of the current impasse could make a big difference to millions of people who live in conditions of intolerable insecurity.

The Congress government could be trying to pass the food security bill as a ploy for garnering votes. But it is an important bill. NFSB certainly needs a sensible debate in Lok Sabha general assembly as it is a bill that will surely impact the economical trends of the country and people ambiguously in positive or negative way.

The negative aspect about this bill is that when the entire world is talking about quality Food production, proper storage and proper distribution, under Food Safety, the present bill talks about only distribution, that too without adequate explanation as to how this is going to be sustained in the long run.

It is truly sad that Politics in India has become a farce and Politicians use Parliament to practice their theatrical skills. The country wakes up each day to face a new crisis, the falling Rupee, Sensex collapse etc, each of International significance and the Opposition behaves as if their return to power is more important than the nation's interests. This frivolous conduct of Politicians will lead to millions in India getting impacted.

India must elect a majority Government, bar people who disrupt Parliament from the Chambers, clean up the selection process for Parliamentarians and demonstrate to the whole world that India is worthy of being called a true democracy

Opposition is well aware that this food bill could be a political agenda that Congress can use to allure the below-poverty-line population of India. But keeping this political chess aside, the MPs should think about the food security to the poor people. The food security is the need and right of the citizens of India, who struggle daily for their full day meal. The MPs should pass this bill with amendments over its distribution system, quantity to be given per person and state government role. The bill indeed envisages the obliteration of malnutrition and hunger from the country.

The moot point which most of the political parties are trying to contemplate is the resources to meet the requirement, the storage and the public distribution system in India. But as a moral issue, no one can object to reduction or elimination of hunger.

Sadly, looking at the performance of most MPs in terms of questions asked, debates attended and even the most basic attendance in a session, performances are dismally low for most Parliament members in our country. There should be a legislation to curb disruption of the parliament. But if there has to be a debate over this point, the issue will mostly get lost in a plethora of abuses, antics and walkouts from both opposition and ruling parties.