TIRUCHY: Around 15 years back, in 2009, R Karthikeyan injured his head badly while riding his motorcycle and was battling for his life. If it wasn’t for the efforts of the ambulance driver who got him to the hospital on time he would not be alive to tell his tale today.
“It was only then I realised how important the service of ambulance drivers is. The ambulance driver was the one who rushed me to the hospital and saved me. With this, I have great respect for ambulance drivers. To honour them, my wife and I give them free food. Army personnel and ambulance drivers can eat as much as they want and take a parcel too. They do not need to show any identity card. Food is free not only for those from Tamil Nadu, but from any part of the country,” he added
Karthikeyan (32) and his wife Manisha (27) tied the knot in 2019 and decided to start the business on their own two years later. They have been running the food van for more than three years at Kattur in Tiruchy, and serving free food to ambulance drivers and army personnel (both retired and serving). Both of them said army and ambulance drivers have played a role in their lives, so it is an honour to offer them free food.
Karthikeyan hails from Kattur and completed his BE in Mechanical Engineering in 2014. He was working as a quality engineer when he aspired to start his own business. However, destiny had something else for him as the business he started did not last long as he suffered losses. His wife Manisha completed her B.Sc (computer science) in 2017.
In March 2021, they opened the food van named Thirumurugan Idli Shop in Kattur by spending Rs 1.5 lakh and there was no looking back since then. Apart from the variety of dosas like ‘Vadivel dosa’ and ‘Muttai Nila Dosa’ on their menu, the slogan ‘Free food to ambulance drivers and army personnel’ is an eye catcher and passers-by have appreciated the couple for their service.
The shop is open from 6.30pm to 11pm. The couple has also been creating awareness on social media.
“Both my grandfathers served in the army. Similarly, my wife’s grandfathers also served in the army and one of them died during the war. Our grandfathers have shared their stories with us about the services they have done for the country. It touched our hearts and raised our respect for the army. After this, seeing army personnel on the road instils a sense of respect in us. So we decided to do whatever we could to honour them,” Karthikeyan said, adding that he wanted to join the army, but his health did not allow it.
“I extend a helping hand to soldiers and ambulance drivers in many other ways. My wife and parents played a big role in this service and encouraged me. On my mother’s birthday, I bought a new dress and gave it to an ambulance driver,” he added.
“There is a big difference between normal jobs and those of soldiers and ambulance drivers. They sacrifice their lives for us regardless of theirs. Also, many ambulance drivers skip their meals to work. It is sad that there is no one to look after them. In the midst of their sacrifices, our service is very small. However, giving them free food not only makes us proud but it is an opportunity for us to honour them,” said Manisha.
“Ex-army personnel who work as guards nearby often visit our van. Whether it benefits one person or many, we and our family are very happy.” she said.
“We are planning to open food vans in various places in Tiruchy city in the future to provide free food. We will also provide food to the poor and homeless people who are struggling. We do not do this as a mere service, we do it consciously. I will always support my husband for all his help,” Manisha added.
(Edited by Affan Abdul Kadar)