Skip to main content

Odisha move on Vitamin C laced rice to benefit corporates, 'undermine' tribal habits

Counterview Desk

Several civil society organizations and activists from across India, including those associated with the Right to Food Campaign (RTFC), National Alliance of People’s Movements, Desi Bihan Surakhya Mancha (Odisha) in a letter to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, has sought for immediately withdrawal the decision to supply artificially Vitamin C laced rice in Malkangiri district.
Calling it a “whimsical decision”, the letter claims, it would lead to “wasteful use of people’s taxes during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic”, adding, the public distribution system (PDS) rice “is enough for only 10 days and the rest of the days people use other rice”, which suggests the government “is providing Vitamin C for only 10 days.”
Pointing out that this way the government is “forcing tribal people to change their agro-cultural food habits”, the letter contends, “Cooked rice will lose more than 75% of the Vitamin C added to the rice as Vitamin C is a water-soluble Vitamin lost in boiling and further in draining of water from cooked rice. The decision will only benefit companies engaged in artificial Vitamin C enrichment.”

Text:

On behalf of the Right to Food Campaign Odisha, National Alliance for People’s Movement (Odisha Chapter), Desi BihanSurakhya Mancha Odisha and other concerned civil society groups, we, the undersigned, would like to register our disagreement regarding the Govt of Odisha’s plan to introduce Vitamin C laced rice to the people of Malkangiri through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
We came to know of the government’s above decision through a news report in Odisha Post dated November 27 under the heading “Supply of Vitamin C laced rice in Malkangiri from February.” We strongly object to this decision of the Government to introduce artificially enhanced Vitamin C laced rice to PDS beneficiaries when there are ample substitutes in natural foods that are part of people’s traditional food practices.
The Government of Odisha needs to learn about nutrition and develop a basic understanding regarding Vitamin C and Calcium abundance in natural food consumed by the people in general which are available in plenty of vegetables and citrus fruits commonly found in all village and city ecosystems.
Vitamin C is water soluble and if the rice is laced with Vitamin C it will get washed away while the rice is cleaned before cooking. Therefore, it is futile to artificially lace the uncooked rice and that is reason why in tradition cooking practices, lemon juice is squeezed into cooked food before consuming it.
It has also been scientifically proven that natural source of Vitamin C not just provides Vitamin C but also many other nutrients and anti-oxidant. It is also need to be kept in the mind that only 50-55% of calories must come from cereals, now 70-80% of calories will come from rice because rice is expected to be a vehicle for Vitamin C also. This will lead to long term chronic diseases like diabetes etc.
We are wondering about the basis of this current decision and questions arise about whether the government has taken this decision based on any statistical data around Vitamin C and Calcium deficiency among PDS beneficiaries of Malkangiri! It is a travesty of food justice and mockery of food security to introduce artificially laced Vitamin C rice to the people of Malkangiri under the pretext of eradicating malnutrition.
If the Government of Odisha is truly committed to eradicating malnutrition, it would be more socially and ecologically just to support the PDS beneficiaries in Malkangiri access Vitamin C and Calcium nutrition through creating a support system around growing crops, trees and leafy vegetables like Amla, Guava, Papaya, Lemon, Kuler/ Barada Saag, Gandhari Saag and Tomatoes which are high in Vitamin C.
It would be socially, ecologically just to support a system to grow Amla, Guava, Papaya, Lemon, Kuler/ Barada Saag, Gandhari Saag, Tomatoes which are high in Vitamin C
These crops and fruit trees are commonly found and grown in most Adivasi villages of Malkangiri who are the major PDS beneficiaries being targeted under this initiative. Therefore, instead of the public taxpayers’ money going to Mumbai and Delhi based companies, the government should use the same funds to incentivize the direct consumption of Vitamin C and Calcium rich foods found in village and forest ecosystems.
One of the major reasons why Adivasi communities, particularly children and women, face malnutrition is their restriction in access to forests where fruits and greens are readily available for people to consume in their everyday diets. Further, Adivasi families are facing increasing threats to their rights to land and farming practices due to several development projects which is also an impediment to their access to natural food supplements and dietary practices.
It is important for the Government of Odisha to understand from this issue that in order to eradicate malnutrition the policies of the government needs to be more proactive and sensitive towards immediate settlement of tenurial rights over farmlands and community forests, incentivizing traditional mixed cropping cultivation practices and promoting diverse natural dietary practices amongst the PDS beneficiary families who are largely from Dalit and Adivasi communities.
It is in this context that we urge the Govt of Odisha to consider the following demands:
  1. To immediately withdraw the decision to supply Vitamin C laced rice to PDS beneficiaries in Malkangiri.
  2. The state government should provide vegetables rich in Vitamin C with PDS. 
  3. To use the funds allocated for the buying of machinery under the initiative to incentivize direct consumption of Vitamin C and Calcium rich foods found in village and forest ecosystems. 
  4. To immediately start the process of settlement of tenurial rights over farmlands and community forests to Adivasi and Dalit communities in Malkangiri. 
  5. To incentivize traditional mixed cropping cultivation practices and promoting diverse natural dietary practices among the PDS beneficiaries using funds from Odisha Millet Mission and Integrated farming projects being implemented in Malkangiri on a large scale.
---
Click here for signatories

Comments

TRENDING

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy  Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor*  Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

PUCL files complaint with SC against Gujarat police, municipal authorities for 'unlawful' demolitions, custodial 'violence'

By A Representative   The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Justice of India, urging the Supreme Court to initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against the police and municipal authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The complaint alleges that these officials have engaged in unlawful demolitions and custodial violence, in direct violation of a Supreme Court order issued in November 2024.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

CPM’s evaluation of BJP reflects its political character and its reluctance to take on battle against neo-fascism

By Harsh Thakor*  A controversial debate has emerged in the revolutionary camp regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s categorization of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Many Communists criticize the CPM’s reluctance to label the BJP as a fascist party and India as a fascist state. Various factors must be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment. Understanding the original meaning and historical development of fascism is essential, as well as analyzing how it manifests in the present global and national context.

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative  The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.  The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents.   The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

How polarization between different ideological trends within the communist movement sharpened in India

By Harsh Thakor*  This article is a rejoinder to A Note on Slogans of “Left Unity,” “Unity of the Communist Revolutionaries” and “Mass Line” by Umair Ahmed, published on the Nazariya blog .

Buddhist communities in Michigan protest for Mahabodhi Temple’s return to Buddhist control

By A Representative   Buddhist communities in Michigan have staged protests demanding the return of the Mahabodhi Vihara in Gaya, Bihar, India, to full Buddhist control. The Mahabodhi Temple, regarded as the holiest pilgrimage site in Buddhism, is currently managed under the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949, which grants a majority of control to non-Buddhists.

Vadodara citizens urge authorities to adhere to environmental mandates in Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project

By A Representative   A coalition of environmental activists, ecologists, and urban planners in Vadodara has issued an urgent appeal to state and municipal authorities, demanding strict compliance with court-mandated guidelines for the upcoming Vishwamitri River rejuvenation project. Scheduled to commence in March 2025, the initiative aims to mitigate flooding and restore the river, but citizens warn that current plans risk violating National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and jeopardizing the river’s fragile ecosystem, home to endangered species like crocodiles and Indian Softshell Turtles.