2. HOLDING SACRED THAT WHICH IS NOT SACRED

2. Holding Sacred that which is not Sacred ~ 83 ~ As the Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, has pointed out, an over-dependence on cereals could lead to a situation in which even wellfed people are under-nourished. Besides the physical handicaps from which those who are starved of proteins may suffer, the mental side effect of this, according to Dr. Swaminathan, would be that the mental capacity of children would not develop properly. Viewed in this light, a re-examination of the present agricultural policy is necessary. But the limitations within which the Government must act are also many. First of all, it is very expensive to transform farm produce into animal protein. Besides, even though the Government has conducted a campaign for balanced diets and higher consumption of meat, eggs and fish, the people have been slow to change their eating habits.36 People reacted strongly to Dr. Swaminathan’s statement. Some extremists even demanded his