Kolkata: With limited resources and services available amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of ‘hunger heroes’ in Kolkata have come forward to help the destitute and elderly people staying alone at home and relatives of patients from villages living under open sky at various government hospitals with lockdown in the city.
Among many, there is one organisation whose name is self-explanatory: Anti Hunger Squad Foundation (AHSF). It was set up by footwear company owner Zeeshan Majeed, a resident of Topsia in the eastern part of Kolkata.
Since morning, Zeeshan was busy arranging packets of rice, dal and cooked vegetables for people living on pavements, under the flyovers, pedestrian bridges, etc.
Zeeshan’s organisation is working for the last two years in feeding the hungry, focusing primarily on poor people coming for treatment at government hospitals. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging, he has turned his attention towards the destitute.
Speaking to News18, the Limca Book of Records achiever for setting up 50 food camps in hospitals in a swift time last year said, “There is a story behind my involvement in feeding the people in need. Last year, I was going to my office when I came across an accident. I took the victim to hospital and saw how patients and their family members struggle to get healthy food with the limited money they have. Then I decided to start this foundation to feed them. But now I have extended my service to the destitute also as there is no one to take care of them.”
Zeeshan said once a week, mostly on Sundays, he gets home-cooked healthy food, loads it in his car, and then goes to various government hospitals to feed the patients' family members. "I make sure that it reaches the right person. Since March 21, (a day before the Janata Curfew), I have decided to distribute food items to the destitute also," he said. "Today, I have started this service with packets containing rice, dal and vegetables. Besides the food, I am also distributing masks and soaps to them so that they can maintain some hygiene. My target is to feed nearly 200 people in a week.”
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) too came forward to help the poor, destitute and elderly people who are staying at home alone.
Sudesh Kumar Poddar, secretary of HRAEI has initiated dialogue with the state government for assisting them in distributing dry food items like bread, banana and puffed rice to the needy people amid the coronavirus crisis.
“We have arranged a delivery van and requested the state government to allow us to distribute the items as we will be needing police permission due to the lockdown," Poddar said. "From tomorrow, we will start distributing this to all the needy persons who are hungry and require food."
Another city-based businessman and social worker, Sushil Goenka, also said that he has procured dry food items and is appealing people to distribute these among the poor and needy. "We are also using social media platforms to send our message to the people to contact us if they need any financial help and food items. We have distributed our network in four zones to provide our service," he said. "In this crisis, we have to see that no one should die of hunger, otherwise it will be a shame for us. I would like to request all to come forward to assist these people who don’t have means to feed their family members.”
Ashwin Mehta of the Roti Club has temporarily suspended its service as he is facing problems in getting people to help him distribute the food.
“Today morning I was discussing it with my wife and I am willing to continue my service to the poor people. But no one is coming forward to help me. I will try to get in touch with the state government to extend my services in this crisis. Usually, we feed nearly 2,000 people every day in and around the city,” he said.
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