Eggs or bananas? Parents spar over mid-day meals in Mandya

Mandya: The distribution of eggs to the students, as part of the mid-day meals programme, has resulted in a conflict between upper caste and Scheduled Caste students at the Government Higher Primary School at Alakere village of Mandya taluk, with parents who don’t want eggs to be served demanding Transfer Certificates (TC) of their wards to admit them to another school.

There are 124 children, studying in the school from 1st to 7th standard, and 20 children in LKG and UKG. As there is a Veerabhadreshwara Swamy temple near the school building, parents of many children requested that bananas be served instead of eggs, which was adhered to.

There are around 20 children belonging to Scheduled Caste communities in the school, whose parents claimed that they would be denied proper nutrition if eggs aren't provided for mid-day meals.

The members of Karnataka Swabhimani Sama Samaja Sanghatane and the aggrieved parents submitted a memorandum to the DC’s office a week ago in this regard.

With people from from the SC community allegedly exerting pressure on the school to include eggs in midday meals, the parents of more than 40 students plan to admit their children to schools at Keelara and Hanakere in madnya taluk, and at Besagarahalli of Maddur taluk.

SDMC member Chandru said, "We are not against eating eggs. As there is a historic Veerabhadreshwara Swamy temple right next to the school, eggs should not be cooked here. Instead, we have told them to take the eggs to their houses. As there is pressure that the eggs should be cooked and supplied in the school, I have admitted my son and daughter to a school in Keelara village."

Block Education Officer K T Sowbhagya said that they are persuading the parents not to shift their children to other schools.

“There is no violation of their religious practice here. If the villagers take a unanimous decision, the problem will be solved. We have already held three meetings, to retain the students in the school”, she said.