Maggi | Furore | Two Cents

With the stigma surrounding Maggi, everyone’s been in a tizzy of thoughts about its disappearance from their lives! How in the world is everyone going to claim to know how to cook now? What’s going to replace the one single solid go-to Food at 4 am post-party get togethers ? What are all the hostel-ites going to make on their iron plate? What’s going to entice kids to have dinner? Clearly, India has more to lose than gain with the current ban, no?

I agree that everyone with half a mind has given their opinion on Maggi, but then again Is the problem really a corporate one ? It’s like society blaming sleazy dance numbers on celluloid as objectifying women when clearly there is a huge demand for viewership in the very same society. Are we the problem?

For one, I think population is definitely the biggest problem plaguing the world and every other problem is an offshoot. The earth is not the milky way galaxy people ! “Stop Procreating!”should be the clear message that every responsible government must tell its citizens. Instead they promise jobs. The hope for a better job and better lifestyle drives not only the lower strata of society, but also the top echelons since that’s what human beings are about, wanting more no matter what ! Don’t get me wrong! I mean, I get the elevation out of poverty bit, but what about those with twin bungalows in Lutyens still wanting more??? Insatiable is probably an understatement when it comes to human greed! So eventually, everyone’s looking for better paying jobs, faster cars to buy (though roads are still pot-hole ridden!), swankier houses to own! No-brainer that corporates would be first choice of employment, corporates in-turn waste not a minute in capitalizing

this vast human population for their revenues. They sell and want to sell more. Somewhere some boss is swirling in his typical boss-like cabin chair, throwing his head back in evil laughter & rubbing his hands in glee with the dollar signs for eyeballs! Do you think such bosses even have the time to think about ethical food practices when all they want is triple digit growth?? Lead, Iron, Aluminium, Tar, Cement…. The list is endless; they will not hesitate to mix any of this to make profits. Monitoring all this is a corrupt Quality department in a government office, with slow fans, tons of files on the table, creaky doors and officers who seem to lead entire lives in slow motion! These snails would grant anyone who’d grease their fingers, a Quality OK Report ! Have to send kids to better schools, you see? Ultimately this led-soaked maggi is at the dinner table of the very same household, the one where the eldest son just got a job with a Cola manufacturer and so they have more disposable income for indulgences like Maggi !

What’s the end to what seems like an eternal vicious cycle? I would say two things, curb population and start organic farming. If each household supported its own food needs, we will be killing ourselves a little less with poison in the name of food !