Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

India suffers epidemic of stunted kids

BAPPA MAJUMDAR

Reuters

Latest comment posted at 11:18 AM EDT 16/05/08

Malnutrition rates among world's highest for children leads to improper development of limbs, study finds ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. CD W from Canada writes: India is one of the fastest growing economies, sell that aircraft carrier you have and feed your kids. Time for us to stop and make them deploy their resources in a proper fashion.
  2. Syed Abbas from Toronto, Canada writes:

    India has now more Billionnaires than Japan, China, and England. Do they have any heart? Or are they waiting for a foreigner Mother Teresa to come and help the poor.

    Learn from neighboring China and Pakistan who have a better income distribution.

    Reaganomics and Thatcherism may create short term benefit, but in the long run it will lead to unrest and terrorism (that will be conveniently blamed on Pakistan or China or Muslims).
  3. Paul Collins from Canada writes: Face it. We must accept a form of population control. This world is over populated.
    Mystery of Everyman's Way
  4. Mark H from Indy, United States writes: "Paul Collins from Canada writes: Face it. We must accept a form of population control. This world is over populated. "

    Don't you mean they must accept a form of population control? Seems pretty convenient.
  5. Syed Abbas from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Mark H: Good Day

    " ... This world is over populated ..."

    So thought Malthus. He was right. His England was over-populated and still is, as is entire Europe save France, the only country that can feed itself with its borders closed and no trade.

    But India can feed itself if run on non-capitalist lines. India has all the three ingredients that define real wealth - renewable fresh water, renewable land, and renewable energy (frequent rains, occasional floods, and daily warm sun). India is very rich indeed so much so that poor England came to feed its people.

    Russia, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Canada by contrast are vastly over-populated. We could not feed over 5 million a "Balanced Diet" unless we trade. All we grow is grains and meat. Eating that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner would stunt our arteries, a situation worse than India's limbs.

    India's problem is not over-population, but economic system with a poor investment and distribution model.
  6. Katherine R from Canada writes: Shame on India. With some of the richest people in the world as well as some of the world's brightest minds, they are allowing hundreds of millions to live in poverty. It's about time these billionaires ended hunger and provided every one of their fellow citizens with some dignity.
  7. Bob from Montreal from Montreal, Canada writes: That's great, they don't take up as much room.
  8. Syed Abbas from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Katherine R: Greetings

    Great sentiments.

    Four of the eight top billionnaires are Indian, but none has a heart fraction of that of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet.

    Most Indian wealthy live ostentaciously and spend money as if it is going out of style. A few years ago Mittal reportedly spent some $60 million on his daughter's wedding!

    The only Indian Billionnaire with social conscience is Azim Premji ($20B) who lives frugally. Drives a Toyota Celica, and on his son's wedding served guests on paper plates, gives generously to charities. Some 1.5-2 million kids go to school on his account.

    India's rich could do more. They can not take it with them to the grave.
  9. P Conner from toronto, Canada writes: A quote from the Secretary of Agriculture would be more reassuring than a quote from the Secretary of Biotechnology. If the people of India want to stand tall they must not rely on biotech and genetically engineered food solutions. GMO crops are less nutritious and present a possible viral or bacterial threat to humankind. And these crops rely on petroleum and very strong pesticides to thrive rather than relying on nature and labour. I recommend nongmoproject.org.
  10. Syed Abbas from Toronto, Canada writes:

    P Conner: Greetings

    You are right on.

    The Green Revolution of the 1960s was based on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
    The New Revolution is GMO.
    Man tries to beat nature. Nature Checkmates.

    Indians have turned back on Gandhi. People who reject their pasts have no future to go to.

    Let us give our own Natives some greater say in managing lands.
  11. Michael Soft from Apple, Canada writes: The world's largest democracy cannot take care of itself? Impossible! The poor can simply vote in a government who would take care of them. Problem solved!
  12. R Rrr from Canada writes: For all its new found wealth, India is still a poor country where the rich are getting filthy rich and the poor stuck in the mud. Stunted kids reflect on the policies of the government or their of care to fight poverty.
  13. pran manga from ottawa, Canada writes: Healthier children. especially in the first few years of life pays off in the long run. The reverse is also true, neglected infants and toddlers generate life long problems. India most surely need to make a far bigger investment in its child population. And yes, population control is vitally important to its present and future welfare. China's success in controlling its population growth has a lot to do with its economic success.
  14. Geoffrey May from Canada writes: Indain Billionaires are no more concerned with the poor than European and American billionaires .This story points out how useless national economic indicaters are .Grinding poverty exists in most countries, regardless of GDP.
    There is enough for everyones need, but not for everyones greed .
  15. Robert Wager from Canada writes: A point to debate. GM crops are atleast as nutritious as non gm crops. The biggest difference is the reduced fungal toxins in GM grains. An Italian study found isogenic Bt corn lines had 100-140 times less fumonisinB1. And the yields were 28-43 percet better for the GM corn vs the isogenic corn. Facts and myths about GM technology are often opposite to each other.
  16. Robert Wager from Canada writes: I would like to add one more point before this discussion fades into cyberspace. I find it amazing to hear a segment of todays society say it is a realistic option to return to agricultural practices from the early twentieth century to solve twenty fist century problems. India is a prime example of the, although politically correct, thinking that is destin to cause unbelievable hardship on so many. How can a type of agriculture that had most of 300 million people (India pop 1960) starving to death be expected to feed over one billion (India pop 2008)?
  17. Ann Ig Norant from I want global warming not another tax, Canada writes: It is agri-business that is undermining our food supply. Do you know that it takes 28 cal of energy to produce 1 cal of food with todays methods of growing food?. Small growers produce food with lot less waste. Give people land they'll grow enough food. The problem is land and wealth distribution and GMO foods will not solve that, actually will make the problem even worse.
  18. Robert Wager from Canada writes: I agree that land ownership issues are intricate to the debate but the development of drought tolerant, salt tolerant and fungal resistant GM crops are vital to the future of agriculture.

    One can add infrastructure (roads, fuels dumps, refrigerated storage etc) to the list as well as better governence.

    So how do we convince governments to be more equitable with land reform? How do we convince them to buy tractors not guns?

    Calling for a ban on a proven technology certainly will not accomplish they goals.
  19. Robert Wager from Canada writes: Two GM crops that should be fast-tracked are:

    Golden Rice which will alleviate over 500,000 children from going blind each year. Presently 2011 seems like the time it will be GIVEN away to subsistance farmers.

    Protein enhanced potato: By putting a gene from bean into potato the researchers in India have produced a potato with approximately 13 percent protein content. This compared to less than 1 percent for the standard potato. Kwashiakor is devastating to so many in India this GM product would help millions.

Comments are closed

Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.

Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top