Four-year-old Shanku has unwittingly sparked a nutritional revolution in Kerala.
His playful demand for biryani and fried chicken at his local anganwadi – a community-based childcare centre – has prompted the state government to revamp its meal programme for thousands of children statewide.
What started as a casual video recorded by his mother, Ms Aswathy Ashok, in February this year, turned into a social media sensation and soon captured the attention of Kerala’s Minister for Health and Women and Child Development Veena George, reported India Today.
In the now-viral clip, little Shanku – whose full name is Trijal S Sundhar – is seen with a bowl of biryani, innocently asking his mother to have the dish, along with fried chicken, served at his anganwadi instead of the regular upma.
The video quickly struck a chord with the public. Shared widely on Instagram and later by Ms Veena herself on Facebook, the clip received an outpouring of support and humorous commentary, with some netizens joking that even prisoners receive better meals.
But more significantly, it highlighted a growing consensus: children deserve nutritious and enjoyable meals at their anganwadis.
On Tuesday, the Kerala government responded in a big way. At the state-level inauguration of the annual Praveshanolsavam – a reopening ceremony for anganwadis – Ms Veena unveiled a revised, statewide unified food menu for children attending these centres.
For the first time, Kerala’s anganwadis will serve dishes like egg biryani, pulao, soya curry, chickpea curry, nutritious laddus, and even traditional snacks like kozhukkatta (dumpling made from rice flour, with a filling of grated coconut and jaggery) and elayada (steamed sweet wrapped in leaf), reported The Times of India.
Milk and eggs, which were previously provided two days a week, will now be offered three times weekly.
The new meals have been developed with an eye on national nutrition standards, focusing on reducing sugar and salt intake while boosting protein and calorie content.
The menu includes detailed nutritional breakdowns for each dish and applies to breakfast, lunch and general supplementary feeding schedules.
“This marks the first time a uniform food menu is being implemented across all state-run childcare centres,” said Ms Veena during her announcement. “The initiative ensures children are not just fed but nourished with meals they enjoy and that support their growth.”
Though currently in Qatar with his parents, Shanku is thrilled by the news. “He is relishing the moment,” said Ms Aswathy, who along with her husband Somasundhar, have been keeping a close eye on how their son’s video has grown into a matter of public policy.
The family, originally from Prayar near Oachira in Alappuzha, plans to return to Kerala by mid-July.
Ms Aswathy explained that the biryani video was not intended to go viral. “I had been sharing pictures and videos of Shanku on Instagram for his father, who had just returned to Qatar after our son’s choroonu (first ceremonial rice meal). That day, he happened to be eating biryani and expressed his dislike for upma. I recorded it like any other family video.”
She added that upma had become a daily fixture at the anganwadi and Shanku had developed an aversion to it. His personal favourites, she said, include porridge and black-eyed peas.
While the updated menu is a victory for children’s nutrition, it’s also a testament to how public engagement and social media can influence governance in meaningful ways.
Ms Veena, in her public messages, emphasised the state’s commitment to improving child health.
She pointed out that the menu upgrade was a continuation of other health-focused initiatives, such as the 2022 introduction of milk and eggs in the anganwadi diet and efforts to upgrade infrastructure in these centres with play areas, reading spaces and modern restrooms.
The response to Shanku’s viral request, she said, was a reflection of the administration’s openness to community feedback. “Children are our priority. When we listen to them, even the smallest voices can make a big impact,” she said.
