Thousands of families in Kerala cook an extra portion of lunch on assigned days round the year to feed needy strangers in government hospitals. This meal, called pothichoru or packed rice, is collected and delivered by volunteers, mostly cadres of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, the CPI(M)’s youth wing. Every day, 40,000 such meal parcels are distributed across the state. The person who cooks the meal has no idea about the caste or religion of the receiver; neither does the receiver know about the person who cooked the meal. RSS-affiliated Sevabharati, too, distributes food to the needy in hospitals. So, when Health Minister K Muraleedharan announced that he would stop the distribution of pothichoru by political organisations in government hospitals, the public outrage was huge.
Muraleedharan’s argument was that government hospitals “are not venues to display political or organisational flags” and proposed that all food distribution be routed through government-run community kitchens to ensure a standardised system. The statement drew sharp reactions from various quarters, particularly the DYFI, which has been running a large food distribution network at medical colleges since 2017. The BJP, too, voiced strong objection, suggesting that minister should instead be encouraging Youth Congress workers to follow suit. They alleged that the programme is being hastily banned before alternative systems are implemented.
Facing criticism from all quarters, the health minister has taken a step back, insisting he was trying to address the shortage of space in state hospital premises. Politics apart, stopping this much-loved humanitarian gesture is not in anyone’s interest. These organisations had to step in with food packets to fill the gap left by the authorities, as government hospital canteens were in an abysmal condition. Pothichoru is not just about cooking an extra meal—it is also about cooking with a sense of shared humanity. The minister, instead of mixing narrow politics in this exemplary act, should focus on addressing the various systemic issues faced by the state’s health sector. Kerala is in the grip of various types of seasonal infections, with related 67 deaths being reported this month alone. Rather than going after pothichoru distribution, it will be more useful if the ministry channels its energy towards ensuring better disease surveillance and service delivery.
