The Maggi Muddle!

Repeated food safety tests across India confirmed the presence of poisonous lead and a chemical monosodium glutamate, widely known as MSG in the famous 2-minute Maggi noodles. First the capital Delhi banned the noodles for 15 days and then state after state of the country started following suit. On Friday, the 5th of June, 2015 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered Nestle, the company producing Maggi, to recall all nine variants of the noodles from the Indian market. After that branches of FSSAI got into action in states like Maharashtra, Meghalaya and others too where the ban was not yet announced pending test reports or non-conclusive results. 

Even after all these serious developments Nestle refuses to admit that their noodles are not really fit for consumption, particularly for the innocent children who were too fond of it, or that at least some serious problems could be present. Obsessed perhaps with the need for damage control to prevent huge losses the company attributes the findings as 'confusion' and says that the noddles will return to the shelves very soon. They are trying to prove that all the tests done across India are wrong and that testing standards in the country are very poor. 

Nestle must understand that the 'confusion' is in fact created by them only and not that the 'confusion' has damaged their products. They are trying to mislead the consumers. In most parts of the country consumers do not have proper awareness about food safety and related issues, and they do not want to give up their food habits easily. The noodles have been in their homes for around thirty years making them almost accustomed to provide 2-minute meals to their children. Now with the company's so-called assurances that could have been passed on by the dealers spread across the country most ot them who are not very media-savvy are finding it difficult to decide. 

Confusing reactions are being heard all over. Most people would want to know why nothing was found wrong in the past thirty years and why now only. Well, they must understand that a wrong remains a wrong irrespective of when it is finally detected and they should appreciate the fact that it is found out before serious health problems could actually occur. Some others are stoic or indifferent, 'how does it matter, if you like eat it, if you do not want don't eat! Who has died eating Maggi?'. Or 'As long as I find it in the stores I'll continue eating it!' Some other reactions border on the ridiculous and absurd. 'You see, this whole thing is being orchestrated by a political party who could not get enough funds from Nestle in the last elections!' Well, in India everything gets politicized. But you also need to know that eating is not normally a political issue and that states of all political hues and colors across India are in fact banning the noodles. 

In the recent years most of the popular fast foods are being categorized as junk food which are harmful for health due to the numerous dubious ingredients found there. But no serious efforts have been made by any government to create awareness about fast food or junk food. Food safety is a must. Now is the time for starting campaigns similar to 'no tobacco' ones in relation to all packaged and junk food that are harmful or could be harmful. The FSSAI too must go hammer and tongs to improve its stadards and ensure food safety for all citizens of the country. 

The Fiefdoms And The Chieftains!

He was right royally amused by what happened—not only by the reactions, but more by the deep-rooted feeling of a rather inexplicable insecurity embedded in them.

He was new to the city and was trying to gather as much information as possible about the local traditions, customs, linguistic-cultural characteristics and other significant happenings. That day while rummaging through the newspapers, he came to know about an important event taking place in the city. Deciding not to miss it he told his assistant to find out how his office could participate in the proceedings.

The assistant immediately opined that Mr B…was very well known to the concerned organizers and so that person should be the right channel to go through. He knew Mr B… well enough to understand that he was one of the integral parts of the office. “Okay…” he said, “Tell him to arrange.”

After some time, Mr B…called him.

“Hello sir…I came to know you wanted to participate in the event. I…”

“Oh yes! Please arrange it then.”

“…I am very well known to all of the organizers. They depend on me for everything…”

“Good. Then there is no problem at all. Please make the arrangements.”

“…For years I have been the only intermediary between this office and them. Once I tell them they never fail us…”

He decided to listen through. He understood exactly what that person desired of him—that he should have contacted Mr B…directly and first-hand for that job. Why go through the assistant…why not he was wise enough to realize that! And of course…eventually that particular affair proved to be a tremendous success.

Within a short time in the office he could identify quite a few self-styled ‘influential’ representatives of the office for the outside world. He willingly recognized their ‘influence’ so that work went on smoothly and in a coordinated way. Anyway, he was not a local and being new with hardly any personal contacts he had no other options. Not that he did not try a ‘direct approach’ and to build new work relationships. In fact, he developed quite a few satisfying ones and wanted to expand on that by directing other co-workers to open a new directory enlisting all important personalities of the city in all fields of activities with their contact information. That never happened.

He knew exactly why. Mr A…was the most important ingredient of the office dealing almost daily with all happenings in the city that essentially involved key people in power. He was so obsessed with his ‘influence’ that he never gave up anything to others, monopolised all tasks and stuck to these even if he failed to complete some on time. His ‘contacts’ were fiercely guarded and he commanded most of the office people who owed unconditional allegiance to him for their sustenance. Therefore, thanks to the influential As or Bs or Cs that particular assignment never managed to see the light of day. Initially, he himself did try to get some key contact information from Mr A…and realized his mistake as on some excuse or other the required information was never given.

He did not regret what he confronted; neither did it impair his work. In fact this experience was not at all new to him. He was never a local in any place in his life. In his childhood days his family moved from town to town, because his father was employed by the government and transfers were regular. Being a local one could pursue something and prosper eventually by virtue of the continuity and the authenticity of ‘belonging’. For him his acquired expertise in a certain activity in a certain place ended the moment he was out and gone. So often he analysed it himself, ‘If you are not a local, you miss out on many things—nobody takes you seriously enough to continue with you. And if you do not speak the local language then it is the worst. You are fated to remain a stranger even after spending most part of your career there.’

It was the flip side of this phenomenon that never failed to amuse him. Irrespective of the power or limelight or prosperity or monopoly they continue to enjoy the locals suffered from a constant sense of insecurity. They would compulsively want to hold on to their ‘fiefdoms’ eternally lest someone ‘worthy or superior’ from the outside world came in and robbed them out of their ‘assured’ existence. ‘They never try to advise you too much; they never try to help you too much; they never try to introduce you to important circles too much; at times they try to shut you off completely fearing you have already attained some attention. All this due to their embedded sense of insecurity,’ he mused so often.

At times he felt furious, at times frustrated and at times he felt almost helpless. However, there was always a way out. And, despite all the power blocks one could still succeed in one’s pursuit, he told himself. It was more of amusement than regrets, he decided. 

Newsroom Humor: The Visual Nut!

The news editor was in a very disturbed state of mind that evening. He was new to the newsroom of the television channel, its surroundings, and that made it all the more irritating. It was in the most biting phase of the winter and his newsroom pals seemed to be more interested in sitting cosily closer to their burning warm electric heaters chattily chewing betel nuts than anything else. There was the onset of a threatening lethargy that the hapless news editor tried to resist with all his might. He had to ensure that the most important story of that day got included in the bulletins.

The story was written and ready, but somehow the visuals were eluding everyone. Again and again, the tape was inserted in the video editing machines and checked. No visuals emerged on the monitors. What happened? Furious, the news editor wanted to know. The camera unit was there for the coverage and stayed there full length of the event. Then?

The editor called the concerned executive for explanations. The fellow came in with a benign smile busy chewing a mouthful of betel nut and paan. As the editor started questioning the smile transformed into a grin and his chewing hardly stopped.

“Why there are no visuals?”

“Well, Sir, you see…we tried and tried. But no visuals…!”

“But how could it happen? The cameraman was there all the time with his camera.”

“Sir you see…he is the only cameraman here…lots of pressure…for everything he is the only…”

“But he was there with the camera. The visuals had to be there.”

“…He is also lonely here…no family…no good food…many many problems…!”

“But what happened to the visuals?”

“Sir, I asked the poor guy…he forgot to press the record button sir…he is so hard pressed…!”

“O’ my God! He did not need to press it so hard I suppose! How much strength does the poor starving guy require for that exercise?”

The executive broke into a broad grin and started chewing vigorously. The editor looked into the barren ceiling above fearing a rain of betel nuts falling on him and submerging him…