Islam Creator of the Modern Age
2. Holding Sacred that which is not Sacred
~ 83 ~
As the Director of the Indian Agricultural
Research Institute, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, has
pointed out, an over-dependence on cereals
could lead to a situation in which even well-
fed people are under-nourished. Besides the
physical handicaps from which those who are
starved of proteins may suffer, the mental
side effect of this, according to Dr.
Swaminathan, would be that the mental
capacity of children would not develop
properly.
Viewed in this light, a re-examination of the
present agricultural policy is necessary. But
the limitations within which the Government
must act are also many. First of all, it is very
expensive to transform farm produce into
animal protein. Besides, even though the
Government has conducted a campaign for
balanced diets and higher consumption of
meat, eggs and fish, the people have been
slow to change their eating habits.
36
People reacted strongly to Dr. Swaminathan’s
statement. Some extremists even demanded his
