In a revisit to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s historical campaign, Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), an umbrella organisation of 7,000 NGOs, has decided to skip one meal a week to save foodgrains and tide over the current food crisis.

The decision was made in a meeting of CNRI state presidents on January 30 in Delhi, said chairman of organisation and veteran Gandhian activist Mohan Dharia here on Wednesday.

Later speaking to Sakaal Times, he elaborated on the campaign. He said, “The nation is facing a severe shortage of foodgrains and pulses. Less production and hoarding by unscrupulous traders have caused scarcity of foodgrains leading to sky-rocketing prices. Both poor and middle class sections are reeling under this situation. The option of import of foodgrains and pulses costs heavy on the state exchequer.”

The Gandhian philosophy has a solution to tide over the crisis, Dharia said, adding, “Lal Bahadur Shastri had given a call to skip one meal at the time of food crisis. It was a great patriotic call. We are in the same situation again. Though there is no leader of Shastri’s stature, his ‘Shastri Vrat’ can still be a motivational factor. Hence, CNRI has decided to launch the campaign. Activists of 7,000 NGOs affiliated with CNRI will skip one meal in a week. We urge political parties to take up the cause.”

When asked if people would respond, Dharia said, “If one person skips one meal every week, we save one kilo of foodgrains per month. Many people keep fast for religious reasons. Once they should try to skip a meal for the cause of the nation.”

SKIPPING MEAL ONCE IN A WEEK

When Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister in June 1964 the country was in the grip of food crisis. Shastri hated the idea of going around with a begging bowl. So, he hit upon a novel idea. Let the nation skip a meal once a week. However, he implemented the idea at his home. Encouraged with the response he received from his family, he went on air to appeal to his country man to skip one meal in a week. The response was overwhelming. It was called ‘Shastri Vrat’