In the northern state of Bihar, India, 26 school-going children died when the government-provided food they consumed were later found to be contaminated with pesticides. Several children are still in hospital. This tragedy assumes a lot of significance because it highlights cynicism from school authorities as far as school lunches subsidised by the government is concerned.

Mid-day meals were provided to encourage students to come to school. How the tragedy occurred is anybody’s guess. Some say the cook mixed the grains in containers that previously held pesticides. Another theory is that the pesticides were added to the food. Still another conjecture, this time from the asses who are political opportunists, is that the pesticides were added as part of a conspiracy to discredit the government of Nitish Kumar. Now, the heretofore mentioned politician, the chief minister, has been doing good work, but he had a fight with other members of the NDA which is the alliance which is opposing the UPA which is ruling the country.

The political bickering goes on. Despite all this, why endanger the lives of innocent school children? They have been caught in the cross fire between feuding political parties, if the surmise stated above is true, which I doubt. But the government of the day should own up responsibility. Such callousness on the part of authorities show a slack attitude and a negligence of duties, which itself is criminal. The principal of the school has been arrested and an enquiry has been instituted. But as these enquiries go, rarely do any good come from it.