Daily Times

Imran Khan has hit back at the mixed reception to his latest economic plan. And his trump card appears to be that Bill Gates came up with the very same idea of giving rural women chickens to help lift themselves out of poverty. To be sure, there is some science behind this. Poultry is both easy and inexpensive to look after. Eggs, of course, are a good form of protein; which is essential to keeping children healthy. Chicken meat can be used to feed families while live birds carry weight in barter system economies. And leaving women in charge empowers them when it comes to decision-making within the family unit or the broader community.

Yet the first time the Prime Minister broached this plan, he did, in fact, mention something extremely important: providing women with the means to accelerate natural growth rates. The question of giving livestock hormonal injections has long been controversial in the West. In fact, in the US it is illegal to administer such treatment to any kind of poultry or dairy cows.

It is regrettable that the ensuing furore surrounding chicken-gate deflected attention from this. Including Khan’s own outburst that saw him take to Twitter to bemoan the ribbing he received. Even more unfortunate is how he chose to put a colonial spin on things; taking offence at how Mr Gates alone was lauded for his anti-poverty vision. And while the PM may have a point, he would do well to see this as an important lesson in what it means to be at the top. The first rule being to not announce policy at press conferences unless and until reporters are allowed to pose questions. Secondly, it is never advisable to go on Twitter to complain about the public making fun of recommendations; especially when this is done in good humour. After all, holding politicians to account is one of the hallmarks of a democratic set-up. Thirdly, an important rule-of-thumb is to try and refrain from complicating the issue at hand. By talking of “colonised minds”, the PTI chief simply took the conversation where it did not need to go within the given context. Namely, the double standard of criticising western imperialism while approaching the IMF for a bailout package. Or else the subject of an Oxbridge education.

Thus the big takeaway from all this is that policy should not be made on the go. It needs to be drawn up in consultation with relevant experts. Even for something as simple as using chickens to empower women. Anything else suggests lack of seriousness. And in the case of rural women, it sends the message that the lives of the poor matter so little that they can bear the physical costs of consuming hormonally-treated chickens. None of which is good enough.  *

Published in Daily Times, December 3^rd 2018.