Opinion The Third Edit: In Kerala anganwadis, biryani, with a side of dignity

It began with a bowl of upma — plain, filling, but nutritious — and ended in what few grown-ups would ask of a welfare meal: Biryani and chicken fry. The request of three-year-old Trijal “Shanku” from Alappuzha district, captured by his mother in a video that went viral in January, has led to the revision of anganwadi menus in Kerala to include egg biryani, pulao, and a promise of variety, nutrition, and dignity.

In a society where everyone but the child herself is involved in the decision of what she can, and should, eat, Shanku’s request has cut through the bureaucratic noise and touched something essential: The idea that joy and nourishment shouldn’t be luxuries but rights even in the most modest state-run centres. There is, indeed, a lesson in how the Kerala government has managed to honour the wishes of a child while balancing it with nutritional recommendations at a time when the question of what food should be allowed in government schemes remains fraught, not least because of its connection to questions of caste, religion and privilege. In February, Maharashtra decided to stop serving eggs or sweets in midday meals. Madhya Pradesh and Goa, too, have dropped them from the menu. This, when malnutrition remains a challenge, especially among marginalised communities.

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Eggs are one of the most accessible sources of nutrition. But the real nourishment in Shanku’s story lies in what this moment has fed — hope and a model of governance that is grounded not merely in data, but in empathy. When his mother informed him about his wish being fulfilled, the boy responded with a delighted “Thank you, Minister aunty” to state health, women and child welfare minister Veena George, who took heed of his request. In that note of gratitude was an acknowledgement of what it means to be counted in a system that so often glides over the needs of its youngest and most vulnerable.