With the 2014 election to the Lok Sabha but a few months away, Union Health and Family Welfare minister Ghulam Nabi Azad used his Bangalore visit and a kids forum to trumpet the UPA’s achievements of the last nine years.
While giving away iron and folic acid tablets to children of government schools, Azad heaped praises on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and prime minister Manmohan Singh, and the government’s various “path-breaking initiatives.”
Right from military and defence achievements, to energy, the NREGA scheme, construction of roads and highways, building of schools and universities, appointment of teachers, the RTE, mid-day meal scheme, etc etc; Azad was effusively self-congratulatory, he is a member of the council of ministers, before a boisterous crowd of over 10,000 school children at the indoor stadium at Koramangala.
Requesting the children to maintain silence, Azad droned on and on for 20 minutes, oscillating between praising his bosses in New Delhi and the newly-formed Congress government in the state.
There were hardly any words from the health minister on how iron and folic acid tablets will benefit kids, or how anaemia affects children their age, and the kind of diet they need to take.
The key audience, comprising children from classes 8-10 from various government schools, could neither related to any portion of the minister’s speech, nor understand any of UPA’s “achievements”.
Most like Rajam from Sheshadripuram School were out having a gala time with no studies slotted for the day.
Throwing paper rockets across the stadium, and hooting and whistling when the dignitaries took stage was all the kids seemed inclined towards doing.
Many like Srividya from Jyothi School were not aware as to the reason for their visit to the stadium. “We were told some programme is there and some big people are coming,” says Srividya. “I just know we are going to get some tablets,” says Varija, a class 8 student from a government school in Ulsoor.
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