Salt, Sonia and the Sangh Parivar

The question whether salt should be iodised, which should have been left to health experts, has become the subject of a political battle between the RSS and the Congress(I), says NEENA VYAS.

SHOULD SALT be compulsorily iodised to fight endemic iodine deficiency that leads to goitre and cretinism, or should the decision on what kind of salt to eat be left to the good sense of the people? This simple question that should have been left to health experts has now become the subject of a political battle between the RSS and the Congress(I), and both have put forth their opposing views to the Government. And there is every indication that the Vajpayee regime is inclined to oblige the RSS lobby that has picked on iodisation of salt as embodying all that is evil in the multinationals.

Two weeks ago, on June 25, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an RSS outfit, announced a rather grandiose plan for virtually a mock Dandi march. Naturally, it is to start from October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. Equally significantly, the Government has been given an ultimatum that the order making iodisation of salt mandatory should be withdrawn by August 9, anniversary of the Quit India movement, or it will face the new millennium's salt agitation.

All this fits in rather nicely with the announcement of a ``new war of independence'' that the RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mr. K. S. Sudershan, has exhorted his swayamsewaks and supporters to fight. What makes one suspect that the entire exercise by the RSS and the SJM is aimed at scoring a political point is the fact that nearly three to four months ago the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, had called a meeting of activists of the SJM and some other `swadeshi' organisations to thrash out the matter. In fact, at the end of the discussion he is believed to have virtually ordered officials to withdraw the offending order ``within three months'' and report back to him.

This did happen, for on May 11 this year the Government issued a notification announcing its intent to go back on the policy of compulsory iodisation of salt initiated by the Congress(I) Government in 1984 after the Indian Council of Medical Research took the lead in campaigning for it.

So why the need for a new Dandi March now? Why make a mockery of the Mahatma when the Government has already clearly decided in favour of the RSS demand?

Now it seems that the health question has taken a backseat and politics is in the forefront. Not to be outdone by the RSS lobbyists, and perhaps seeing in their efforts an attempt to score a political point against a previous Congress(I) Government's decision, the party's president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, shot off a letter to the Prime Minister. She has argued against revoking the order, pointing out that its enforcement had already led to a steep decline in iodine deficiency disorder symptoms and saved millions of children and adults from the scourge. Moreover, the WHO, the World Summit for Children, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international bodies have recommended this simple remedy for preventing iodine deficiency-related disorders, some of which are very serious.

But it is not as if the SJM has no cogent arguments on its side. The Manch has been able to get the Indian Medical Association on its side. The SJM Delhi co-convenor, Dr. Ashwini Mahajan, said it was also pressing the ICMR to go back on what it had recommended to the Government in the 1980s.

Moreover, the point the SJM is making is that iodisation of salt has been used as an excuse by the big companies to jack up prices of this essential commodity. A kilogram of ordinary salt should cost Rs. 2, instead iodised salt costs Rs. 6. For the poor families it is big price to pay for what is needed daily, and especially if they live in areas where iodine deficiency is not a hazard.

The Manch has prepared a booklet, ``Namak Andolan Kyon'' (Why a salt agitation?), giving all the facts supporting its case for denotifying compulsory iodisation of salt. Dr. Mahajan warns that the multinationals ``will take the price of salt to ridiculously high levels ... it was iodisation first, and now lobbies are busy arguing in favour of compulsory addition of iron to salt to fight iron-deficiency and low haemoglobin count...that would be another excuse to jack up the price.''

The SJM also points out that while the process of iodisation may cost an additional few paise per kg, the price in the market is three times that of non-iodised salt.

Yet another argument is that a daily dose of additional iodine given to those who do not have the deficiency can affect health. ``Why cannot people be given the choice to use iodised salt or the ordinary salt? Why not publicise the need for iodised salt in those regions (especially the hill areas) where there is endemic deficiency of iodine,'' ask SJM representatives.

Their arguments are countered by the Congress(I) which says the additional cost of iodised salt is a small and affordable price to pay for even the poorest, and its positive effects far outweigh this. Also, compulsory iodisation of salt has in fact increased employment opportunities, according to the Salt Commissioner.

And in an illiterate and poor country, the cost of publicising the need for iodised salt in regions where the problem is acute will cost much more and prove to be less effective than the strategy of iodising all salt.

Mr. K. N. Govindacharya, BJP general secretary, recently held discussions with the Union Health Minister, Dr. C. P. Thakur, to persuade him that it was important to reverse the policy of compulsory iodisation of salt. And he is more than hopeful that it will be done.

The Government notification of May 11 announcing its intention had given 45 days to appeal against the move.

Since two months have now elapsed, it is almost certain that after dismissing the appeals and arguments, the Government will go ahead and withdraw the order making iodisation of salt mandatory.

And at least on this one point the Vajpayee Government can score some brownie points with the `swadeshi' lobby within the RSS and the BJP which is otherwise quite unhappy with the ``mindless liberalisation and rapid globalisation'' taking place under a leader who till recently swore by `swadeshi.'

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