Monday, October 02, 2006

Agar tune mera (iodized) namak khaaya hai OR Common salt and the Bhagvad Gita

So let's get down straight to it - how is salt connected to the Gita? It started when Sri Sri told us some time back about the The Government of India ban on non-iodized salt in the country. In fact, Roger Moore came as a rep from UNICEF for promoting iodization of salt. Sri Sri, a wise man by any standard, was very serious and has taken up this issue with a lot of vigour after a deliberation of 3 months and has asked all of us to protect our right to choose which salt we want to use.

There are many levels to this issue, something that I found out a little talk with my friend Dr. Kunal and then browsing the universal mind (WWW :). Let us consider the problem at the different levels:

1. Health
The enforcers of the ban say that Iodine deficiency causes lack of brain development and will lead to goitre and that salt fortification is a cheap and easy way to ensure that this problem is solved. Universal Salt Iodization(USI) is the term used and you don't need to be a conspiracy theorist to see the reference to Big Brother. For the history and effects of USI, the Salt Institute is a good site - but hey, it is obviously industry driven.
Those against the law say that Indians have a high salt diet (ahh Mom's pickles) and forced iodization will make people hyperthyroid. An endocronologist argues quite well against the usefulness of USI - Iodine is quickly lost on cooking and due to high moisture in salt. Hyperthyroidism definitely seems to be a problem, especially in urban areas. But the greatest threat of Iodine seems to be AIDS - if you believe this awesome site

2. Economy
Pro-USI: Iodization of salt is cheap - "only the cost of a cup of tea a year per person". This seems patently false. Iodized salt manufactured by biggies like Tata and HLL are Rs. 10 a packet and 'common' salt that I bought in Bangalore is Rs. 5 (was this shopkeeeper plainly ignoring this law?). In villages, the iodized version is almost three times the vanilla version. No wonder then, that talks of the salt lobby being behind this law are commonplace. But there is an Agent Smith to the Neo here too. (take that article with a pinch of salt, however - it uses the same method that it argues against - emotion - to pitch USI!)

3. Effected populace
The figures are also inconsistent - the pro-USI people say that 254 out of some 350 surveyed districts had goitre problems - and this they say is not limited to the Himalayan belt that is known for the goitre problems. The doctor however says that only 2.5% of Indians are iodine deficient. It seems like you can find what you are looking for :)

4. Values
Sri Sri is now talking of a second salt Satyagraha. Basic freedom (at least in matters of food!) and self reliance are at stake. Next, there will be iron fortified wheat - which again might have to imported - our villagers will not be able to eat what the neighbouring village produces! Of course, the job of the government is not easy, given that many of the educated doctors feel that there is no substitute to iodization of salt.

It seems to me that both parties are well-balanced and this is not an easy matter to decide. Of course, there is the mandatory third option - don't eat salt altogether:) What I love is that I am taking a side knowing fully well that this is not a cut-and-dried issue. I even have a friend on the other side (Dr. Kunal). And herein lies the fun - I am going to go full out and protest against the ban - And that is what I think the Gita exhorts us to do.

This is a blog that I loved thinking about. I can consider my Vijay Dasami well-spent :)

Cheerio All - Have a good fight :)