BRAIN WASH

BRAIN WASHING:

Last week end  early morning Sunita’s maidservant came with her eight year old daughter and a son aged ten, to her house. They were waiting outside due to the fear of dogs.

 When Sunita asked her-- why they have come, she said-“For Babu’s expert advice”.

“They would like to clarify whether they must drink these health drinks to be brainy, strong and tall as shown in the TV, and also suggested by their  teachers,” she added further “ Babu , just tell me with my merger earning, is  it possible to give them Horlicks, costing more than two hundred rupees for a small bottle? Does it really help the children to become brainy?”

The dogs were closed in side their room and the children were asked to come in.

Sunita’s husband Subrata who is an expert nutritionist told the two children to listen carefully to what he was going to speak.

“Horlicks” was the name of a famous horse who had won record numbers of races all over the World. Not only you young chaps, your mother but many educated house wives and even teachers believe what the advertisements on different health drinks propagate. It’s made of Wheat, Malt, Sugar and Milk. People add two to three spoonfuls of Horlicks to the warm milk. As such milk contains lots of vitamins and minerals but the companies advertise it as fortified with vitamins.”

“Uncle, what about Horlicks gold?” asked that young girl.

“Just to lure the people there are different names like Horlicks Lite, Woman Horlicks, Horlicks gold and many such names but all are same, there is no gold in any drinks, all the health drinks are advertisement tricks. Some have been banned by the Government of India for wrong information’s or as a hoax”

‘Then tell us what we should do? ‘Maid’s son asked.

“Eat what your mother serves you, like rice, roti, dal, vegetables, idly, sambar, bara, chattni, curd & the mid day meal of schools, all of them are useful for the body and mind. These so called heath drinks are meant for diseased people, old people who cannot eat temporarily, fed through the pipe but not as a food. They contain lots of carbohydrate which will result in obesity, which is bad. Watch the men, women and their children of Ethiopia; they are starving people, still then tall with strong bones. This is brain washing of the young mass and the public. You see neither of us has taken any health drinks at any time nor our children”.

“Thank you uncle, we will eat as you have told us and would not bother our parents with these costly health drinks.”

When Sunita came to know about a sponsored essay competition on benefits of Horlicks to be written by those school children, and there were cash prize plus Horlicks bottles for top three, it was too late.

 (written by Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy for school going children.)

PS: There is no food regulation rules for advertisement exists in India and there are 30 crores  children ,so these multinationals take advantage of it by using cricket players, film stars and athletes for promotion of their products like ,Horlicks, Bourvita ,Complan, Boost and some  Ayurvedic products.  Neither they will make one taller nor your bone & brain stronger. The bottom line is, these drinks contain lots of sugar, dried milk, saturated fats, flour of malt or wheat, chocolate powders, coca  etc. Nothing can replace the freshly cooked home made food. Follow your ethnic habits. Like alcohol, drugs, smoking &sex say no to these health drinks when you are young or will repent in later part of your life. They are all advertisement stunts do not be swayed away by those tall claims, make your own decisions.