NEW DELHI: A viral video of a child asking his mother for biryani and chicken fry instead of upma at his anganwadi is likely to lead to changes in the meal menu at childcare centres in Kerala.
The state minister for Health, Women and Child Welfare, Veena George shared the video on her social media page on Monday.
In the video, a boy named Shanku makes the request, and George announced that the menu at the anganwadi will be revised .
The minister acknowledged that the child made the request with innocence, and it will be taken into consideration. She also sent her warm regards to Shanku, his mother, and the anganwadi staff, saying, “The menu will be reviewed, taking Shanku’s suggestion into account.”
George explained that anganwadis provide a variety of foods to ensure children receive nutritious meals.
“Under this government, a scheme to provide eggs and milk through anganwadis has been successfully implemented. In coordination with the Department of Women and Child Development, local bodies provide a variety of foods in anganwadis,” she added.
The viral video shows Shanku, wearing a cap, asking his mother, “I need ‘birnani’ (biryani) and ‘poricha kozhi’ (chicken fry) in the anganwadi instead of upma.”
His mother filmed the video while he was enjoying biryani at home, which she later posted on Instagram, leading it to go viral.
“After seeing the video, we received calls from some people who offered biryani and chicken fry to Shanku,” his mother said to media.
Many netizens supported the child’s request, with some suggesting the government should reduce the food given to prisoners in jails and improve meals for children in anganwadis.