BENGALURU: For nearly 10 years, Syed Gulab has been arriving near Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Disease at 12.30pm every day, carrying a simple meal for at least 250 patients and attendants. What began as a Sunday gesture 10 years ago has become an unbroken daily commitment.Gulab began serving Sunday lunches on March 29, 2016, after noticing families struggling to afford meals while visiting a friend’s daughter who was admitted to Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH).The 48-year-old’s service has been benefitting hundreds visiting five govt-run hospitals located within a 1km radius in Jayanagar – IGICH, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Disease, Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma & Orthopaedics, Kidwai Institute of Oncology, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans).Gulab said many families had travelled from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and elsewhere in Karnataka. “Over time, families’ resources were exhausted. They struggled especially Sundays, as hospital canteens would shut,” he added.Objections from some hospital authorities and nearby canteen operators prompted him, on the advice of friends, to establish Roti Charity Trust, a registered NGO. He also obtained a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence, which he renews regularly.The effort continued through Covid-19 pandemic. “That was when people needed it most,” Gulab said. He replaced plates with pre-packed meals to maintain social distancing and crowdfunded ration kits for slum residents, too.Plates returned after restrictions were lifted. Gulab, who owns a plastic manufacturing factory, spends about Rs 1.2 lakh a month on the initiative.The menu is deliberately modest: ghee rice or white rice with vegetable sambar, suitable for patients and attendants. Around 30kg of rice, 8kg of masoor dal, and 8kg of seasonal vegetables go into the meals each day.The operation now has a kitchen and a cook, while donations help sustain it. Some supporters are regular, long-time donors; others contribute after following Gulab’s social media pages.For him, his initiative is simply a way of giving back. “One day, I thought, let me do what I can, and that has brought me so far,” he said.
