If the Congress government is formed following the Lok Sabha Elections in 2024, we will definitely implement the FOPL: Rajesh Mishra
RAJESH MISHRA, Ex-Member of Parliament and In charge-Campaign committee ,UP election, Indian Congress Party in Public Dialogue on Children’s Nutritional rights and Package food Labelling on 2 December,2021 at Diamond Hotel, #Varanasi
Lenin Raghuvanshi ji, the
organiser of this programme, Lalji Desai ji who is the All India
President of Congress Party's Seva Dal, MLA Kailashnath Sonkar ji,
Brother Shashi Prakash Singh ji, Samajwadi Party's Brother Manoj Rai
Dhoopchandi ji, a former minister, Brother Anil Yadav ji, Roshni
Kaushal Jaiswal ji, Vandana Shah ji sitting on the podium, Dr
Arvind ji and all the distinguished people, mothers and sisters present here, I
would like to congratulate Lenin ji. I thought that research never ends as I
sat in this programme. I was thinking while being seated that there is no end
to research. Moreover, I am a Gold Medallist in BHU and have completed my PhD
research. There are two types of
research. Scientific research goes on continuously. Corona is a disease by the
way, has spread throughout the world, millions of people collapsed and in India
45 to 50 lakh people died, still the medicine has not come and now the second
and third variants of COVID is knocking at our doors. The second type of research which I want to
say is historical research, upon completion, you are awarded a degree, becoming
a PhD scholar. Listening to Vandana ji now, she was describing diabetes, blood
pressure, or what kind of disease it is, and she emphasized that if we follow
those things, we will become vishwaguru. Vandana ji we are vishwaguru
in everything; it is only for media in telling the people we are the world
leader, that is vishwaguru. The chapter has closed, don't say such
things, people would be confused.
Brother Lenin ji, I
believe the subject and topic relate to packaged foods, diabetes, and other
diseases. I think 30 to 40 years ago these diseases weren't as common as they
are today. But now children, young people and people in their 50s or 60s suffer
from these ailments, and this is increasing very quickly, so we are saying that
because of some particular reason. I am not perfect on this merely because of
the way I think about it. Obviously people have reduced physical labour, they
don't want any work, and what we say in the language of Varanasi or Uttar
Pradesh is that people have become more comfortable. We do not allow the
children to move from the bed, we move by car. In many parts of Varanasi, then
it's hard to move by car, so I walk. I met with an accident just 12 or 18
months so it was difficult for me in walking.
I am still having trouble walking, but it has lessened. I walked a lot on foot. In Varanasi, one
cannot drive everywhere, one has to walk on. I used to walk on foot with party
colleagues to cover my constituency, and they would get tired after one or one
and a half hours. Today, we all want to give our children more comfort.
Children today demand packaged foods, so no family is free from them. Guardians
want to feed their children what their children request from them. The
generational change has resulted in a situation where we don't want to make our
children unhappy. Children like packaged foods as well as mineral water. What
Shashi Prakash ji was saying was true, as we understand what packaged
foods are, how they are made, and what our children want, as it comes at home
directly, they don't need to move. As it comes through online, children are
eating. In the past food were prepared hygienically and that drinking water and
food was prepared with clean water. As we live in the cities but our roots are
in the villages, we remember about the vegetable oil as a child, the oil used
in our households was crushed as a perambulating animal was used to grind the
oilseeds. Now, mechanical oil pressing machines are used instead. Cooked in
that extracted oil, the vegetables were tasty and nutritious. It seems that the
same procedure was also followed in your household, Brother Lenin. Today,
mustard oil costs Rs 200, Rs 210, or Rs 250 per kilogram; we are even talking
about palm oil. There is a basic reason for this we have abandoned these things
and are becoming more dependent on medicine. The phrase 'Smoking is harmful to
your health' is printed on cigarette packets; I know personally at least 50
people who developed oral cancer despite never smoking cigarettes or chewing
tobacco. There's no way to predict when a disease will strike, no one can say
which disease will strike whom. Yet what can we do better in terms of those who
have gathered today and joined, the intention of organizer behind it is to
engage the people in the community on what we are trying to do, what we are
trying to achieve, which includes politicians and political parties. Clear
everything and agree on it after considering it, and we're sure that Brother
Lenin will also agree there has to be a change, there has to be a modification,
there is no opposition, they don't mind accepting it, it should be good, it
should be better. Your efforts should be perceived as being for the society,
for the country, not for any individual.
The matter primarily concerns the
Union Government of India, particularly the Ministry of Health. If their
party's government were formed in Uttar Pradesh, Brother Manoj said he would
try to implement FOPL. If his party's government is formed, would he be able to
do so. It doesn't matter if it is not formed. A proposal to implement FOPL can
be sent to the Union Government of India if the process is initiated by the
newly-formed UP state government. Nevertheless, it must be implemented
throughout the entire country, not just in Uttar Pradesh. As long as state
governments do not send a proposal to the Government of India, it is hard to
enforce. If the Congress government is formed following the Lok Sabha Elections
in 2024, we will definitely implement the FOPL, I am saying that with full
responsibility. The current scenario that is playing out could work in our
favour. I personally disagree with Brother Lenin's position on packaged foods.
Honestly, I do not eat outside, I leave at 11 or 11.30 in the morning and reach
home at 12 in the evening, At home, I eat food all year round. I eat rice,
chapatti, and pulses, but not outside. I also eat non-vegetarian food, though
as a Brahmin I have no aversion to it. I must eat under compulsion if I am in a
city like Delhi or Lucknow. People have different preferences when it comes to
packaged foods. Each person's preference in packaged foods will differ; if some
people don't like, then no one should force them to. If you see someone angry
with you who manufacture noodles or bakery maker, they might be angry as they
are doing business. If someone gets angry and you want to do something
positive, I suggest that you not think too much about it and take care of that
work as you are working in the social sector. When Raghuvanshi ji calls me, I
go to every programme of his I never consider if I have time or not, as long as
you are working for society, then your priority is fixed. What can be done for
the betterment of the society, even if two, four or ten people get angry over
it, then its their business, they have to earn money but our concern is the
health of the people in the society, then this is the basic difference.
Congratulations to all the brothers seated here as a ‘panch’, be they of
any party, but still they won’t be able to ruin Varanasi which has distinct
identity. Everyone knows there is no problem anywhere, and I speak with
authority. Today, we think that ideology no longer matters in politics. No one
can tell which party someone belongs to base on ideological differences. There
were many people in 2014 who encouraged me to switch to another party for
becoming MP or cabinet minister but I said I can quit politics but not
Congress. In the recent wedding party in which I and Manoj ji were both
present, there were 20 to 25 political leaders since I had been unwell for a
year and a half, I didn't know who belongs to which party, so I whispered in
Manoj ji's ear, and he then told me. Political parties can have ideological
differences, but the most important thing is the personal connection, which is
a brotherhood relationship. The relationship will remain such that if someone
feels good, feels good, and feels bad, then everyone will agree with your
proposal, and we do not believe there will be any dilemmas in anyone's mind.
Prepare a good proposal and give it to Manoj ji and Shashi ji. When the
government of Manoj ji’s party is formed, then his party would be its partners.
Please give us the proposal. We will talk to Priyanka ji, give her the
proposal, and we will stick to it regardless of where we stand in the Uttar
Pradesh elections or the national elections.
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