?If I have decided to make the request again, it is because the situation is even more serious now for the most vulnerable members of the society and it is becoming increasingly important,? says Cassam Uteem. It is indeed not the first time that the former president of the Republic writes to the government to ask for the introduction of a ?nutritious hot midday meal to the primary school children?. He sent his latest letter ? dated 28th May ? to the minister of Finance, Rama Sithanen, and appears confident that the latter will take it into consideration this time.

?I have some information to the effect that the file was transmitted to the financial secretary and that he said the proposal could be considered in one of the future budgets,? the former president declares. However, he does not want to put the cart before the horse and remains on the alert to try and make of his request ?one of the next budget proposals on 15th June 2007?.

Cassam Uteem says he is particularly concerned about the fate of the children who can?t concentrate on what the teacher is saying because they have not eaten anything all day. ?The main thing is that they are given something nutritious to be able to follow the class.? A study on Hunger in the World commissioned by the World Food Programme recently revealed: ?Hunger or malnutrition during infancy can lead to an irreversible deficiency in mental development, a weak IQ and a reduction in the capacity to learn.?

?But I also think this could have an impact on attendance at school,? he comments. He actually relies on the Indian experience where the obligation of providing children at primary level with a midday meal in some states ?has contributed in ensuring a more regular school attendance by children of the most vulnerable families, thus acting as an incentive to parents to send their children to school?.

Right to food is fundamental

In fact, it is a Court Judgment in Rajashtan that led several States in India to serve primary-school children with a midday meal. The court?s interpretation of the ?right of the individual to life ? which by the way is enshrined in our own Constitution ? has decreed that the right to food is a fundamental one and thereupon ordered the state to ensure that primary school children are served with a midday meal?. The ruling has since then been extended to several other states in India.

?India is not a rich country. If they could do it, why couldn?t we do the same?? Although he insists that it would be a last resort solution, he does not exclude the possibility of raising the issue at a legal level if nothing is done. ?If the right to life is part of our Constitution, then the right to food is indeed a fundamental right.? And the former president is adamant that such a measure would not cost a lot to the country?s budget. In his first letter to minister Sithanen in January, he made it clear: ?I am convinced that the country can afford such a project and find the necessary funds without having to impose a new tax on the population. The savings that would be made on the abolition of the current Primary School Feeding Programme (PSFP) and a more rational approach to the provision of free transport to students would be sufficient to finance the midday meal, or, at least, a substantial part of it.?

The ministry of Finance might indeed find it interesting to implement such a measure. In his last budget, he tried to abolish the PSFP but uproar on the part of the population brought the government to back pedal and reinstate the PSFP. However, Cassam Uteem thinks that the present formula consists in the ?free distribution of only one white loaf? and would like the government to ?consider instead the introduction of a nutritious, preferably hot, midday meal?.

The minister of Education, Dharam Gokhool, who had a copy of the first letter, ?challenged? Cassam Uteem to ?initiate some action at your level in the direction of the proposal you have made. I have no doubt that the whole nation would be appreciative of such a bold and noble initiative? at a time when the country is facing challenges. He even quoted John F. Kennedy ?Ask not what your country can do for you ? ask what you can do for your country?.

The reply came quickly from Cassam Uteem, who might have felt particularly annoyed by the reflection ? which he said John F. Kennedy actually borrowed from Khalil Gibran ? ?You would not be surprised to learn that this has been one of my guiding principles in my over 40 years of public life? and made it clear that ?it is the responsibility of the State to see to it that families are provided with adequate wages and salaries to properly feed themselves through the institution of a minimum vital.?