Kanji (rice gruel) has been off the table in Kerala government schools for over a decade. But now, even the word, too, is making an exit from the official records and probably common vocabulary of students, at least when used in relation to the government’s mid-day meal scheme. The General Education Department of the Government of Kerala has put out a notice stating that the mid-day meals provided to students of government schools must no longer be referred to as “uchakanji” (afternoon rice gruel), and instead be referred to as “uchabhakshanam” (afternoon meal).
Kanji and lentils were once served at lunchtime in Kerala government schools, but since the academic year of 2006-2007, this has been replaced with boiled rice and vegetable curries. However, the meal was still being commonly referred to as “uchakanji” in official documents, and by the students and staff members of schools. The circular reportedly states that the practice of referring to those in charge of distribution of the mid-day meal as “kanji teacher”, “kanji sir”, “kanji chechi” and other such names must also be stopped.
It also asks to cease the practice of referring to the register pertaining to the same as “kanji register”, or the room where related equipment are stored as “kanji store”.
Director of Public Instruction Mohankumar IAS confirms this to TNM. “Until the academic year of 2006-2007, we were serving students kanji, or rice gruel, along with pulses. But since then, we have started serving a noon meal, instead of gruel. Till now, on all records, it is referred to as “uchakanji”; but that’s not fair. We are providing rice and three curries. We serve them milk twice a week and an egg once a week. It’s been over 12 years since we have been serving this meal. But still, there’s an impression among the parents that the children are fed with gruel, because they’re not aware what other food we are providing at the school level. We wanted to change the common perception, and show we are serving a nutrient-rich meal and not gruel.”
TNM also asked CS Chandrika, a writer and sociologist, about the possible reasons why such a notice has been issued.
“Generally, people don't feel that kanji is such a nutritious and comprehensive meal, even though it is, of course, quite nutritious. But the government is currently providing extremely nutritious food to the children, such as boiled rice, curries and other items. In our culture, a good meal is considered to be boiled rice. In the households that have the capacity to eat well, boiled rice is eaten at lunch. Kanji may be consumed in the morning or evening, but it is widely considered that those in abject poverty drink kanji for lunch. So, it can be interpreted that the government doesn’t want it to be seen that way and that it is not providing adequate support to the students in their schools,” Chandrika elucidated.
Chandrika says that the change could possibly be interpreted in another way. “In common parlance in Kerala, when a person is referred to as ‘kanji’, it can imply someone without any resources, or without social status, or someone who is economically backward. There is such an equation encoded in the language. So there might be a meaning associated with the word of having a lower status, and maybe the change was to address that. It can perhaps be interpreted in that way also.”
She concludes, “But I don’t think this is the primary reason. In the beginning, when this project started, the government and other agencies involved in providing mid-day meals could only afford to provide students with kanji; they only had limited funds available in those days. Besides, giving a serving of kanji and a banana was considered a big thing then; but now, when they have more funds available and are providing much better food, I don’t think there’s any problem with changing the name accordingly.”