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.
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.
