Undernourished children<\/p>\n
A number of babies and children reported to be critically
\nundernourished are being admitted to public heath centers every
\nday. A leading newspaper has warned if such a trend continues the
\nfuture of the younger generation may be in danger.<\/p>\n
The seriousness of the matter is that these famine-stricken
\nareas are close to the capital city of Jakarta, in many cases
\njust 50 kilometers away from where the country's richest people
\nlive.<\/p>\n
It is surprising that government officials and the nation's
\nleaders are not alarmed any more by these reports. Economic
\ngrowth may be slow but the rich should not be allowed to get
\nricher while the poor get poorer.<\/p>\n
Concerned citizens are questioning whether the nation's
\nleaders are thinking more of the general elections to be held in
\ntwo years time rather than why the promise of a prosperous
\nsociety is drifting further away?<\/p>\n
The fact that in Bogor, 317 children under the age of three,
\nwere found undernourished, should not be underestimated.
\nAccording to Kompas, Anisah, a 14-month-old child, was found
\nwithout any sign of life in her mother's lap.<\/p>\n
From the south of another city, Cianjur, where you pass on
\nyour way from the tourist resort of Puncak, to Bandung, thousands
\nof people have been complaining for the past several months that
\nthey do not have enough to eat. Most are unemployed, and
\nmigration to bigger cities has now become impossible due to the
\nfrequent raids on hawkers by the police. The Regional Autonomy
\nLaw was meant to give the regions a greater chance to boost their
\neconomy and provide a better livelihood to the local population.<\/p>\n
National development planners should be ashamed that
\nafter about sixty years of self-rule the number of
\nundernourished children in many provinces is increasing.<\/p>\n
GANDHI SUKARDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/undernourished-children-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }