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Millet - A sudden Affection
Millet is not a new word or a newly developed or invented grain/cereal, but nowadays it is in a lot of headlines. I can say that the world community has suddenly developed an affinity for millet. It does not mean that we Indians are not aware of it. Truth be told, we are ancient consumers of all types of millet, and our forefathers used to have it in their regular meals.
Unfortunately, as always, Indian resources were underestimated by western scholars and considered backward for using ancient practices in every category of socio-economic factors. There are various facts and figures in the stories related to eating habits, medical practices, religious practices, and even ethnic etiquette. The wisdom of Indians has been questioned in all fora but truth cannot be kept in captivity for long and no darkness can destroy the great power of light. The same was happening in edible oil categories 50 years back or 100 years ago.
India has always been an agricultural country. Here the importance of pets is always intact in their daily routine. The importance of cow is such a thing that cannot be compared to any other animal. But propagated by multinational companies that cow ghee or buffalo ghee is injurious to health and one of the biggest causes of bad cholesterol which is increasing heart attacks.
They came with some propaganda message that we should eat healthy oil and they started extracting oil from soybean, canola, palm, rice bran, etc. This has not happened suddenly but it was propagated from the platform of WHO. 100 years ago soybeans were used to feed pigs in American countries so that they could get good fat from the animals, same with canola which animals needed for more milk and fat. Palm oil was edible in its natural way of extraction process but later, for high yielding manufacturers started using chemicals s. Recently, rice bran oil has become the healthiest oil in the world after olive.
These developments did not happen suddenly, the exploitation of natural resources and their various uses were gradually implemented by these giants. A major source of the national GDP of Malaysia and Indonesia comes from the palm oil trade. Same time bad effects can be seen in their agroeconomic and climate. We hardly know about the old use of palm oil, earlier in these countries it was used in soap making and lamps. Big-2 MNCs made their fortune and now they become a trap in terms of selling products or reaching saturation level. What's next for them now that saturation in soybean oil, rice bran oil, and palm oil is at its peak? Now there is a question of stability in front of these companies related to the oil business. It was on the trade side and I heard from various doctors that chemically extracted edible oils are actually not edible and harmful to our health so they are advising to rotate on a monthly basis.
The same is happening in other grains for more products GMO products were introduced, on the name of organic. a lot of mismatching is going on in the Agri fields. Authentic foods were invented for a healthy life.
Don't you think they are finding some new avenues and inventing new products for more health benefits which they will reveal through World Health Organisation (WHO)?
Before I write critics about this, I want to put some lights on the history of Millets in India. Source: https://www.icrisat.org/a-short-history-of-millets-and-how-we-are-recognising-their-importance-in-the-modern
Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses. widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for human food and as fodder. There is evidence of the cultivation of millet in the Korean Peninsula dating to the Middle Jeulmun Pottery Period (around 3,500–2,000BC). In India, millets have been mentioned in some of the oldest Yajurveda texts, identifying foxtail millet (priyangava), Barnyard millet (aanava) and black finger millet (shyaamaka), thus indicating that millet consumption was very common, pre-dating to the Indian Bronze Age (4,500BC). So, here we can see how old the history of Indian millet is with us.
We must have heard stories from our grandparents that how they used to prepare their food from millet. It was true Earlier, all types of millet like Pearl Millet (Bajra), Sorguhum (Jwar), Cow Grass (Kodu), Barnyard Millet (Jhangora) are the major staples in those days. Even Millets were popular and daily food in China and other southeast countries. Even, there was a time when we were making Wheat bread/ roties only for our elite guests and in normal routine, millets were the main staples.
Various dishes are made from millet. Here in Rajasthan, people used to rehearse bajra ki rabri in the winter season. Bajra khichdi, Jai ki roti, jowar cookies are the main dishes that are loved by all. These are highly nutritious grains that come under the category of millet.
You should know the word "coarse". It was used by so-called western literature and trading companies to denote such grains under the animal feed category, which means not suitable for humans.
The dilemma in all such stories looms large for us, especially when it concerns the pride of our nation. The term coarse was associated with grains of the millet category. They were animal food according to the elite section of society. For Millet, Western culture was the center of such irony. In India, those who ate millet were placed under the poorer section of society and those using wheat products were relegated to the upper-class, elite societies. Things go on like this for centuries. But, the time has come when they realize that Indian ancient/traditional food is full of nutritional value. It is not animal feed or fattening.
Business is at the center of all development and glory to Millet
Obviously, business is the driving force in all kinds of activities. Farmers are farming and harvesting in their fields for business & manufacturers are doing production. These come under the cycle of continuous processes and events in our ecosystem. These are natural phenomena that are used by human beings to maintain their livelihood. Likeminded people used their brains to make soybean oil, palm oil, canona oil edible and create multi-billion-dollar business opportunities in different parts of the world.
These are multinational companies whose R&D always goes on without losing time, resting, and stopping. They are always on the lookout to get something beneficial from natural products. Prima facia for them things should be edible, even if it is a slow poison in the long run, brings incurable diseases, etc but for them it is business.
Now, I can correlate the developments going on in Millet. Great enthusiasm is being used by the big-2 agro-based companies, and even the government is participating in various technology know-how, promoting and trying to bring awareness among the consumers. Cross-border activities are taking place. following are the few developments which we can follow for more information.
With the aim to create awareness and increase the production & consumption of millets, United Nations, at the behest of the Government of India, declared 2023 the International Year Millets.
*Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignities enjoyed a millet Lunch together organised by President of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-joins-mps-for-sumptuous-millets-lunch/articleshow/96384006.cms
*The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). FAO is the lead agency for celebrating the Year in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. Millets can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and are resilient to changes in climate. They are therefore an ideal solution for countries to increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains. Source : https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en
*As part of promoting the International Year of Millets (IYOM)-2023, O/o Addl. DGFT, Chennai in association with APEDA organised Export Awareness Program to promote "Millet" as Super Food of the Future at Anna Centenary Library, Chennai on 15th March 2023. Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1908048
*The Government of India is to launch Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness. It is in line with the United Nations’ plans for the International Year of Millets, which is 2023. India brings in the concept of “SEED MONEY” in the initiative. Research activities on millet, and increasing their productivity will be focused on the initiative. Indian Institute of Millet Research located in Hyderabad will provide technical support to the initiative. Source: https://www.gktoday.in/topic/millet-international-initiative-for-research-and-awareness/
Why is India taking such an initiative? Is there any lack of awareness about Millet’s consumption in India? Or Indians don't have the taste for it?. These questions seem to float when we heard about the developments on the world level goes on.
Benefits of Millet’s use in our daily diet
Millets are Good for health, the Atmosphere, and Farmers.
Numerous benefits as regards health, ecosystem, and economy are associated with the Millet. Millet uses less water compared to Rice & Wheat so it is very beneficial to the soil as well as the surrounding atmosphere. Millet can be grown in low and high altitudes on arid lands, under low irrigated conditions. Like Bajra is grown in Rajasthan, the land of the desert is making it fertile. Rich of iron, calcium, protein, antioxidants etc. i.e. a complete diet for countries looking for self-sufficiency.
Millet are farmer friendly because it doesn’t need much water, is easy to harvest, and Pest resistant features of the crop help them to maximize yield and so help to increase profit on volume. Soon price will go up and it will come under the cash crop segment. And many more.
Critics & Care
I can predict that millet will replace wheat and other grains. The existing multinational agricultural companies will have a new agenda for this. WHO will publish benefits and more nutritional facts on millet. Various micro-manufacturing units will start producing processed food items like Nutri cookies, biscuits, ready-to-cook meals, and many more. The army can start millet in their food for army men. Like, it can be promoted in Countries facing nutritional issues.
Many wise countries like Canada, USA, Argentina, and Australia will be aggressive in this and they will replace existing cash crops with millets. After five years we will import quality millet from other countries as they will spend huge money on advertisement and expensive publicity will attract India's attention. India’s quality will be treated as inferior. These are my own thoughts.
I am glad that Indian millet will find a place in foreign fertile land but in the long run, these MNCs through their fabricated awareness programs will lower and lower the quality of Indian millet. Somehow our politics will help them find India a growing millet market. Amidst all such developments, there may be a dilemma in the near future when our farmers will protest that foreign millets are cheap and competitive despite the facts.
Millet is the ancient grain of India and everyone knows about it. In the current phase of development, only one thing is going viral western countries are taking initiative. So, we here in India are only praising it, nothing more.
For us, this would be a diversification of our food habits from unhealthy to healthy. Millet will provide us with complete food, nutrition, and health. We do not need to look towards western countries for its use. We have our own cuisine, taste, and customs that will stay healthy for years to come.
Millets are the future of our Food. Include it in your daily diet and stay fit.
Written by Balwant Singh Rana, parjakalyanm@gmail.com
Date: 20.03.2023 , Jaipur, Rajasthan ,India.
