Loco Pilot in Bengaluru digs deep into his pockets, feeds hungry amid lockdown

Cooking begins here at 9 am and by 12.30 pm, the packets are ready for distribution.
Ravi and his family prepares food for the hungry. (Photo| EPS)
Ravi and his family prepares food for the hungry. (Photo| EPS)

BENGALURU: Upset over witnessing the rise of starving people around him following the nationwide lockdown, a loco-pilot and his friend decided to pool in their own resources to help others in whatever way they could. Loco pilot B Ravi and S Somashekhar have been cooking and distributing an average of 120 food packets to the needy for the last five days and plan to continue doing so as long as they can sustain it. 

Ravi, with 20 years of experience as an express driver, was choked with emotion when narrating his experience to The New Indian Express on Wednesday. “Public are overwhelmed with gratitude and bless us. I cannot put into words how overwhelmed with emotion I am personally to be able to help people like this,” he said.

His wife, Anu Surya, a homemaker, and daughters Deepika and Keerthana are helping out in whatever way they can in their house in BEML Layout, Basaveshvaranagar. “We carried out the distribution of 120 packets of tomato rice on Ring Road on Tuesday afternoon to passersby who were in need. On Wednesday afternoon, we made 130 vegetable rice packets and distributed them at on the same road as well as at a slum in Kamakshipalaya,” Ravi said.

When asked what pushed him to take the step, the loco pilot said that the unprecedented situation faced by the world due to the coronavirus was the main motivation.

It costs nearly Rs 3,000 a day to feed the poor. “Somashekhar, my friend who works in the private sector and I are managing the cost as of now by pooling in from our pockets. We began doing it on April 7 and plan to continue until we are able to sustain it. Neighbours have now started chipping in with rice, vegetables and other essentials to help us out.  They are also now helping us in cutting vegetables and taking turns in doing the cooking. Two other friends Nagaraj and T Swami are also helping out,” he added.

Cooking begins here at 9 am and by 12.30 pm, the packets are ready for distribution.

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