Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday hosted a “millet-only” lunch for all the MPs in the Parliament premises to mark the “International Year of Millets” in 2023, a special initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also attended the lunch along with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other MPs from across party lines.

The lunch event was held hours after BJP and Opposition members sparred over certain remarks made by Kharge in Rajasthan’s Alwar, with treasury bench members seeking an apology from him for the “foul” comments. However, Kharge refused to do so while maintaining that the BJP had no role in the country’s freedom struggle. He insisted that the remarks were made outside Parliament and should not be discussed in the House.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, “As we prepare to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets, attended a sumptuous lunch in Parliament where millet dishes were served. Good to see participation from across party lines.”

As per sources, special chefs were brought in from Karnataka to make specialities like ragi idli and ragi dosa and rotis were made out of ragi and jowar and served to the MPs to promote millet-eating culture. Other food items include bajra and jowar khichdi, and bajra kheer.

The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM). The Indian government notified millet as a nutritious cereal in April 2018 and millet has also been included in the ‘Poshan Mission’ campaign.

Under the National Food Security Mission (NFMS), a nutritious cereal component for millet is being implemented in 212 districts of 14 states. Asia and Africa are the primary production and consumption centres of millet crops, and India, Niger, Sudan, and Nigeria are the primary producers.

Earlier in the day, good health associated with millets and sports took centre stage in PM Modi’s address at the BJP parliamentary party meeting as he asked MPs to work to promote them.

Making millets, grown by most small farmers in the country, popular amounts to serving the country, Modi told BJP MPs, according to Union minister Pralhad Joshi who briefed reporters later.

PM Modi noted that the UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets on his government’s request as he called for making the bouquet of grains high on nutrition a popular choice of food for people.

With tens of thousands of foreign delegates expected to attend a large number of meetings associated with the G20, now being chaired by India, PM Modi said millets will be on the menu and said these can be used in anganwadis, schools, homes and government meetings as well.

MPs can use millet items in meetings they host, he added.

As over 85 per cent of Indian farmers falling in the category of small farmers grow millets in large numbers, a rise in the consumption of these grains will help them financially, he noted.

(with inputs from PTI)

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