HYDERABAD: At the edge of the rush at Secunderabad Railway Station, a different kind of queue forms each morning. It is a line marked not by impatience but quiet dignity; a transaction not of money, but of humanity.
For a single rupee, George Rakesh Babu offers more than a meal; he offers a moment of hope. In the shadow of the railway station, compassion is the currency, and breakfast is served with humility, not grandeur.
At Rs 1, through his initiative — Karuna Kitchen — Rakesh Babu serves fresh breakfast to anyone in need. Launched two months ago near Manohar Theatre, the breakfast service feeds around 250 people daily between 7 am and 9 am. The menu changes every day — upma and sambar, or egg, banana and bread — and tea too is sold for Rs 1. Tokens are issued to streamline service, but even those unable to pay are served without hesitation.
Last year, Rakesh Babu began a Rs 1 afternoon meal that now feeds nearly 350 people, many of them daily wage workers, migrant labourers and auto-rickshaw drivers struggling to afford food.
Speaking to TNIE, Rakesh Babu says, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet many skip it due to work pressure or financial hardship. Since we have been serving the Rs 1 afternoon meal for the past year, we decided to start breakfast at Secunderabad, where thousands of daily wagers and migrant workers pass through. The food is cooked at my home to ensure freshness and hygiene. We charge Rs 1 so people can eat with dignity.”
The initiative began with his own savings, but support soon followed. “Many kind-hearted people donate Rs 10, Rs 50 or Rs 100, enough to feed several people for a day. Others contribute raw materials. We plan to expand this initiative to more key locations in the city,” he adds.
Before starting his lunch initiative and now the breakfast one, George used to distribute free food at government hospitals and various locations across the city. However, he soon realised several challenges: people had no choice in selecting their meals, leading to food wastage. Inspired by cricketer Gautam Gambhir’s Jan Rasoi initiative in New Delhi, George conceptualised Karuna Kitchen with a different approach.
Karuna Kitchen was born from a lesson in dignity. George first offered free food at hospitals and public places, but soon realised it led to waste and left people with little sense of choice. The turning point came when he heard Jan Rasoi in Delhi. It inspired him to rebuild his effort around a simple idea — meals that cost just `1, so people could eat with dignity and a sense of agency.