On China: 'the Secret Is Mother Child Care'

On China: 'The secret is Mother Child care' The Mental Health foundation in UK has in its reports shown specific linkage of the following behavioral conditions as traceable to specific deficiency of fresh green vegetables, dairy products, nuts and oils in the diets. Eating left over and stale food is also considered undesirable. Inappropriate and malnutrition result in: 1. Anxiety 2. Poor concentration and lack of attention 3. Poor memory 4. Irritability 5. Stress 6. Confusion 7. Insomnia 8. Blank mind 9. Loss of appetite 10. Lack of motivation All these represent the class of problems faced by us in India, more in our predominantly in urban poor school children and most of the rural population, transcending all caste barriers, but affecting more the girl child, infants and mothers. It is well recognized in the academic world that while long term ‘poverty’ affects mental health and social behavior of the children, even children from ‘rich ‘ families suffer from malnutrition but of a different nature which is caused by ‘Junk’ inappropriate food. To day in the world there happens to be one country which by ‘default’ to a very large extent, has hit upon the magical touch stone to be able to rectify this social problem. USA launched its WIC (women-infant-child) care pragram very recently in this decade only. If the United Nation’s reports are studied, it will be found that it was China; of all the nations in the world which launched the most effective 'would be mother' and 'child' care and nutrition system very efficiently more than four decades back. Any person visiting the China to day will be struck with one very important observation. The Chinese society is not only predominantly young but the Chinese youth are seen to be very vigorous, boisterous and self driven. With such a society after their children have gone through their education/ training there is very little disciplining and executive authority required to be exercised.

One is not likely to see any policemen on the roads, or any beggars or people loitering or crowding on the streets or road side. Bertrand Russell would be shocked to see the loss of the ‘living finery of the east’. A non resident foreigner is welcomed to start a 100% foreign owned business, investment in infrastructure, industry with minimum hassle and very expeditiously. Just as the developed world to day is being held to ‘ransom’ by the oil producing nations, one would not be surprised at the developed world at present eating out of the hands of China for its consumer ‘goodies’, but also for many strategic raw materials and metals like Lithium and Magnesium, is held to ransom in the next decade. It will not come as surprise that China is likely to emerge as the leading producer of strategic metals like basic Steel, copper, Gold and silver in the coming years. They have not latched on to Tibetan and North East India for nothing. To day China is producing 200 tons of Gold per year and from Tibetan area & 8000 tons of copper per year. In most basic metals from cheapest steel to most upcoming modern strategic metal Magnesium they are the largest producers in the world even today. It is a pity our great Nehru could not see the Gold and Copper hidden underground in Tibet, from a non growing blade of grass, like our UPA in Siachin or our Northeast, even after fifty years. Chinese have not neglected their farm structure either. Their farm yield per hectare is not only equal to the best in US agriculture, but they are self sufficient in their food requirements in the world to day. All this has happened in spite of the fact that China embarked on a nation building program nearly thirty years after India. Various experts from all over the world have been analyzing the 'Chinese' phenomenon. But the management experts and technocrats are apt to miss the HRD angle of the new generation of Chinese Youth which is silently bringing about this revolution. In fact if you were to ask a Chinese whether they are Capitalist, Socialist or communist, the answer would be that they are pragmatists. They and their Govts and institutions are doing what is in their best interests. Like what Macaulay said 'Only Englishman left in the world would be of brown color and found in India', the only Communists left in the world would be of brown skin and found in India. We in India have a long way to go, but should have a simultaneous strategy for would be mothers, infants and child nutrition and health care as a long term strategy. And this is an area not for the Govt to work upon but for working of all voluntary and self help groups.