Food, kids and divinity

Divinity isn't preaching god to men with empty stomachs, but showing god by serving them food. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) puts this philosophy into practice.

Think of suffering and the first word that may come to your mind is hunger. Harder though it may seem, 60 million children across the country are left hungry, depriving them of childhood pleasures. In the age when they should be attending schools, fulfiling their hunger for knowledge, these children end up doing menial jobs for a square meal. The Akshaya Patra or prasadam distribution programme by ISKON, to provide food for children in government schools, is therefore an act beyond kindness and charity. It is taking god to those aching for a feel of him.

No wonder the programme -flagged off at Bangalore's Srirampuram Higher Primary School in 2000-opened the eyes of several state governments towards the sufferings of the 'future leaders.' The programme today is popular in three states and said to have inspired S M Krishna government to introduce the mid day meal scheme: Akshara Dasoha.

'Akshaya Patra,’ the container that never gets empty, is the vessel lord Krishna gave to Draupadi, before the Pandavas started their journey into the forest. The lord wanted his cousins to eat well and never struggle for food, which finds a parallel in ISKON's scheme.

Deccan Herald.com