Sri Lanka Crisis: Indian Businessman Settled in Island Nation Launches Food Aid Under CSR Initiative

Amid Sri Lanka’s deepening economic and political crises, stories of good Samaritans are coming to the fore. An Indian businessman settled in Sri Lanka since 1999 is helping families with food aid, under corporate social responsibility. The businessman, Sanjay Baid, said he was confident that with India’s support, Sri Lanka will revive faster.

Baid is helping families with food amid the country’s worst economic crisis under a CSR initiative and said his target was to reach out to at least 1,500 families, according to a report by news agency ANI. “Our target is 1,500 families affiliated with our workers and their villages. That will cover a large number of people,” he added.

Baid is undertaking a drive of distributing 20 tonnes of food. He said, “There’s a food crisis but there still is availability. Just a little help is needed to get it to common people. As business entities, we’re coming forward to help. I am confident of India’s support, which will help Sri Lanka revive faster.”

The Sri Lankan government is facing widespread protests by people, who have long faced shortages of fuel, power, food and medicine. Protesters, including students and opposition leaders, are calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation. Critics have accused the government of mismanagement, but the tourism-reliant economy has also been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Not only individuals, the Tamil Nadu government has also offered help to Sri Lanka. Chief minister MK Stalin told the Centre on Thursday that his state was ready to ship essential commodities like rice and life-saving drugs to Sri Lanka, considering the welfare of Tamils and sought permission for its distribution there through the Indian High Commission. Stalin spoke over phone to external affairs minister S Jaishankar and expressed his deep concern over the plight of Tamils in Lanka, who have been hit hard.

India had recently announced a $1-billion line of credit to Sri Lanka as part of its financial assistance to the country to deal with the economic crisis following a previous $500-billion line of credit in February. The Indian High Commission on Wednesday announced the arrival of two more shipments of fuel to Colombo under the Indian credit line. Rice shipments to Colombo have also been taken up by India.

(With PTI inputs)

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