#Rs12 - Sufficient enough to fill your stomach?

PS : I would not be talking about any politician in general or take their names, I'd just be apprehending my views in a general way which I believe will be the most fair thing to do. :)

As I switch on to the tv and switch through the channels, one news stands out - food at rs12. And no, I'm not joking. According to some senior politicians, fulfilling your stomach isn't such a difficult task after all. Leave apart Rs12, even Rs5 and Rs1 is enough to fulfill your stomach but wait, there's MORE. Quickly changing his statements, now it wasn't about food fulfilling your stomach, the main intention behind the comment was "you can find food" at this rate. Already confused, right? Well, let's take it step by step and talk about this in detail. We would emphasize on the Rs12 because lower than this, I've no idea what one can find to eat and even if one does, the potion/calories ought to be very low. Therefore, the question rises, why does a person eat? Solely for just fulfilling their stomach or getting strength to do their respective work.

Let's no further revolve around one topic. Let me get to the crux of the matter and discuss the real point. Rs12, what can one find at this price? I had my doubts, so I took on the route of social media and asked my friends on twitter, from different parts of India, what do they find in their respective cities at Rs12.

@nidc13 - She says at Rs12, you can get a cold bottle of water because for cold water, you have to pay 2 rupees extra - which makes it Rs12. Further she also adds, either water or a pack of curd (this varies from city to city) and also depends what curd we talk about but a genuine point taken, either cold water or a bit of curd. She also adds, even in railways, at this price - you only find a bottle of water. Now, let's emphasize on this. Railway is a government controlled source for the lower middle-class, middle and higher- middle class and yet, a bottle of water is priced at Rs.12. With this easily apprehended, if a government source provides just water for Rs12, how can we expect to get a fulfilling meal at this price? Why not cheaper the rates of railways first, if the government is at all concerned for the poor.

@theerailivedin - According to her, all we can get for Rs12 is a simple breakfast, consisting of tea and biscuits or a glass of milk. Fair meal for the start of the day but sufficient to go throughout the day? Surely not.

@Priyaa_G - Well, now we come to the ever so famous - Maggi (small packet which costs 10), Parle G biscuit or a Jumbo Vada Pav. 3 good options, famous too and of course, quality products. However, will any single one of them be enough to satisfy the hunger needs of a person who works for more than 8 hours (at very least)? Highly doubtful. We can see these options as "good" for evening snacks but for a meal, they do not stand sufficient.

@StuffednStarved - And we have a very different answer here. According to her, what one can find for Rs.12 is "jeera goli" - more of a median to digest your food, in no way sufficient to fill your stomach. Therefore, a fair point taken here

@MarcusAlfred24 - Marcus puts it in a very good way; Vada Pav (Rs 8) and Parle Biscuit (Rs 4) - and there we spend our Rs12. My views on this is:- A Mumbaikar eats Vada Pav as a evening snack, how can we expect someone who has worked for at least 8 hours in a day to eat a single vada pav and fulfill their stomach. Seems highly unrealistic and just for the sake of it - everyone has the right to totally fulfill their stomachs in one of the three meals we have, at Rs12 I don't see even that happening.

@PoohBear_Goa - Now, we have views from Goa. Pooja here says, that in Goa, Rs12 is the exact cost of a Prawn patty is a small outlet. The size is small but considering that the filling is of prawn, one can say that the rate is genuine. I personally, will eat prawn patty as a snack and would expect everyone else to do the same. This thereby, becomes an evening snack and not a meal satisfactory to fill one's stomach.

@RavzZylicious - She's from Calcutta and one of the most famous evening snacks of Kolkata is "Puchka", Golgappa as it's more commonly referred to as. According to her, at Rs12 one can get 5 puchka's to eat. So I leave it for you to decide, 5 puchka's really enough to fill your stomach?

@AntiquityBlue - We've an honest answer here. To be sophisticated and apprehend his views, according to him, at rs.12 there's nothing available to fulfill your stomach. Period.

@HanMainCrazyHoon - She provides us with plenty of options. 2 packs of rs.5 biscuits (plenty available in the market), 2 center fresh or 2 maggi of 5 rupees each. Either this or street food like Burger/Momo's/Chowmein. Talking about Delhi in particular, it's extremely hard to find Burger of Chowmein at Rs12 but sure, Momo's are easily available at this price.

@Jeeva_Ananth - Being from Chennai, he says that you can find 3 Idly's for Rs12. Understandable as it's a popular food of Chennai, however, 3 Idly's again isn't exactly what one will find enough to fulfill their stomach and whereas, this is the price in Chennai, in other parts of India, Idly costs nowhere as low as this.

@iamvinodr - Keeping it easy and fair, he says that Rs.12 can only be used to pay the tax of your food bills and that's very realistic. Personally speaking, if I go to eat in a "good" Ac restaurant in Delhi, Rs12 will certainly be the tax in the bill, in fact even more. Expecting to eat at this price in Delhi, will by no means be realistic.

There we have it! Views from all around the country, honest views may I add. I would like to thank all my friends for taking out the time and giving their answers. India is a country that has a diverse culture and each city has it's own differentiation between food and it's prices. In our country, a basic hard working labor works for 12 hours and the least he/she would want is to get at least "1" satisfactory meal in the whole day.

Must I also add here, in our country, farmers commit suicide because of hunger and poverty. In such a country, is it fair for politicians to come out and say that I can have fulfilling meal at Rs12 and that too in Mumbai? Whereas, Rs5 in Delhi. Will the farmers now travel for food all around the country? Shouldn't the politicians speak for the whole country and not just one particular state/city? Through the median of social media, I've tried to see what the different cities of India can provide at Rs12. In this blog, you can clearly see what one can find at this rate.

I've not talked about how much protein/calories and various other nutrients we get from food, can we get from food that is provided to us by Rs12. This is a totally different topic and one step ahead of what we're talking here, right now solely the purpose is to see whether if anything at all is available at Rs12 to fulfill one's stomach. Readers, you can decide for yourself, Rs12 - enough to fill our stomach?

Please do leave your comments/suggestions/feedbacks for me the betterment of this blog. If you want me to write on a particular topic, do also let me know. You can also connect with me on twitter, my id is - @Aditya_J6. Have a good read, stay healthy and may god always bless you with the much deserved 3 times meal. :)