Latest Breaking News

panzerfaust

(2,818 posts) Wed Jul 17, 2013, 07:36 AM Jul 2013

Free school meals kill Indian children [View all]

Source: Guardian (UK)

At least 20 children have died and up to 30 more are seriously ill after eating free meals at a primary school in eastern India.

The children, aged between six and 10, were fed rice and lentils at lunch at the government primary school in a small village in the poverty-stricken state of Bihar on Tuesday. The food had been cooked in the school kitchen. Staff stopped serving the meal after children began vomiting...

Early tests showed that the food in this latest case may have been contaminated with pesticides used on rice and wheat crops in the area...

Authorities suspended a food inspector and registered a case of criminal negligence against the school headmaster. The Bihar state chief minister, Nitish Kumar, has ordered an inquiry.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/17/school-meals-kill-indian-children

Amongst the other shocks in the article was the statement "Even in major metropolises India has no functioning ambulance service and in rural areas cars, rickshaws or even carts are used to carry the ill or injured."

This is the type of corrupt completely unregulated free-market society lacking even the most basic of support services which political libertarians and right-wingers wish for America.

Why they wish to turn the clock back to the thirteenth century is quite beyond me.

42 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Free school meals kill Indian children [View all] panzerfaust Jul 2013 OP

"Contaminated with pesiticides" Quantess Jul 2013 #1

Thanks. Had meant to include that. panzerfaust Jul 2013 #4

Thanks! I clicked on the link, because I was puzzled how lentils & rice could be so toxic. Quantess Jul 2013 #8

it's a very, very poor region Blue_Tires Jul 2013 #6

very very sad...nt..K and R Stuart G Jul 2013 #2

and i thought my school lunch was bad.... dembotoz Jul 2013 #3

I've been to India. Spent 4 weeks touring the country. I plan on going back if... BlueJazz Jul 2013 #12

me too. mopinko Jul 2013 #18

i am sure india is devastated without your presence. nt La Lioness Priyanka Jul 2013 #20

india is a great place, the smells are different and you get used to the flies in the cities loli phabay Jul 2013 #26

"Why they wish to turn the clock back to the thirteenth century is quite beyond me." djean111 Jul 2013 #5

I've heard numerous news stories about the overuse of pesticides by farmers in India. Crowman1979 Jul 2013 #7

most farmers in india are illiterate, so if you tell them something is good for crops La Lioness Priyanka Jul 2013 #21

Pesticides suspected... Berlum Jul 2013 #9

no silly.... Locrian Jul 2013 #10

Duh! Why did I not see this obvious truth? panzerfaust Jul 2013 #11

i swear... Locrian Jul 2013 #16

Tragic. Free-market capitalism at its best. k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth Jul 2013 #13

"Why they wish to turn the clock back to the thirteenth century is quite beyond me." Martak Sarno Jul 2013 #14

Odd ctsnowman Jul 2013 #15

The last line in the article shows me why get the red out Jul 2013 #27

A right wing utopia. Are you paying attention, America? mountain grammy Jul 2013 #17

Heart bleeds for the the families telclaven Jul 2013 #19

that's true. my best guess is that this was some hybrid between corruption and a lack of education La Lioness Priyanka Jul 2013 #22

I'm thinking Black Market myself telclaven Jul 2013 #23

yup. also this is the poorest and most violently corrupt state in india La Lioness Priyanka Jul 2013 #24

Head-Teacher's husband, a grocer, was the source of the food panzerfaust Jul 2013 #40

Fleeing mob justice, no doubt telclaven Jul 2013 #41

Regulations, like constitutions, mean nothing, if they are not acted upon. panzerfaust Jul 2013 #28

Update from IHT/NYT panzerfaust Jul 2013 #25

Acute organophosphorous poisoning requires no special technology to treat. cosmicone Jul 2013 #31

India school lunch deaths: high pesticide levels found muriel_volestrangler Jul 2013 #42

China and India have similar problems like this. GliderGuider Jul 2013 #29

I doubt pesticides sprayed on rice and wheat caused this. cosmicone Jul 2013 #30

13th century = slaves = more money for the king and his court valerief Jul 2013 #32

"corrupt completely unregulated free-market society" Dreamer Tatum Jul 2013 #33

Those don't go hand in hand? Quantess Jul 2013 #34

So is calling a place "right wing" with no evidence. nt Dreamer Tatum Jul 2013 #36

Okay, now I found it in the OP. Quantess Jul 2013 #37

K&R DeSwiss Jul 2013 #35

Kick n/t Tx4obama Jul 2013 #38

naw: in the 13th c. they HAD hospitals MisterP Jul 2013 #39