This Bengaluru man distributed 3,000 food packets in 6 days

BENGALURU: An activist and his friends, carrying food packets and oodles of compassion, fan out to various areas to help people struggling without employment and basic resources.
AS Khan, a resident of Shivajinagar, said he and his friends provide meals auto drivers, beggars, homeless and other vulnerable groups. The initiative began on March 21, the day the government asked eateries across the city to suspend operations, and it was expanded on March 24, the day the three-week national lockdown was announced.
In the past six days, they have distributed over 3,000 packets of meals such pulao, ghee rice and curd rice in City Market, Gandhinagar, Majestic, Mysore Road, Victoria Road, near Bowring Hospital, and other areas.
“We have all the comforts we need, but there are people who struggle to eat even once a day. When I realised that, I decided to head out to help them,” he said.
Khan is the Karnataka president of NGO Council of Human Rights and Bhrastachar Mukt Samaj. His initiative is mostly self-funded with support from a few of his friends.
“I have spent about Rs 70,000 to date, but the satisfaction I get when a hungry person smiles on getting food is priceless,” he said.
Khan said he found a man in Gandhinagar who was starving and didn’t know where to go. “He was wearing a gold chain and had a high-end phone but was helpless because everything was shut. He was simply looking for a place to eat. When I gave him a food packet, he broke down,” Khan said.
Khan, along with friends Shamshuddin, Waseem Pasha and Amjad, move around the city from 12.30pm to 4pm every day to offer assistance to people. Police have appreciated the efforts. “They are more than happy to help us,” Khan said.
The group takes precautions, wearing masks and gloves and frequently washing their hands. “We also hand out masks along with food packets,” he said.