FREE FOOD

 

FREE FOOD

The world is a market. It is full of business houses and shops selling all that is needed for the survival or comforts of life.

Food is the most essential item on sale. Those who do not have their own kitchens or any other system of preparing food to satisfy their hunger purchase requisite type of food from hotels on payment.

Free food is normally available, as sacred food , in houses of religious worship.

These days even governments dole out free food material to thousands of so-called poor people. This policy is subject to criticism.

            Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) said” My ahimsa would not tolerate the idea of giving a free meal to a healthy person who has not worked for it in some honest way and if I had the power, I would stop every sadavrata where free meals are given. It has degraded the nation and it has encouraged laziness, idleness, hypocrisy and even crime.”

He, however, agrees that every man has an equal right to the necessaries of life even as birds and beasts have. And since every right carries with it corresponding duty and the corresponding remedy for resisting any attack upon it, it is merely a matter of finding out the corresponding duties and remedies to vindicate the elementary fundamental equality.

            What is needed is the duty of the government of the time to provide employment to every citizen with adequate salary to make both ends meet.

There should be no dearth of money with any person to buy daily food items for himself and those who depend upon him. Extreme poverty which compels them to beg for free food is sinful not on their part but also on the part of the government.

            As for free sacred food which is made available to the devoted visitors at the religious places of worship, there should be no check. This custom should rather be encouraged.

            Finally, here is a famous quote about starving: The world is split between those who do not sleep because they are hungry and those who do not sleep because they are afraid of those who are hungry.”

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G.R.Kanwal

9^th November 2024