Celebrating in the true spirit of togetherness

My daughter received a birthday invitation recently and I assured her that I would drop and pick her up on time. But when she told me that the birthday was going to be celebrated at Sanjhi Rasoi (community kitchen), I wondered at the choice of the venue. I admit I was a little jittery to let my daughter go alone to some non-descript place.

“Are you sure they are not celebrating at their home?” I asked her again. “They don’t celebrate birthdays there. That’s a community kitchen. It’s a place for cheap food,” I said unable to understand why the parents of the child had decided to host a party at a place we scoff for the underprivileged. I called up the mother and she confirmed the venue. On the birthday, I decided to stay on with my daughter lest she is left alone in a godforsaken place. The Sanjhi Rasoi in the heart of the town, however, turned out to be immaculately clean. I saw a lot of people having their meal as I reached there with my daughter. We were ushered into a room that was decorated for the festivities and a few more parents and children arrived. Everyone had the same concern: The parents are wealthy enough. They could have chosen any hotel or restaurant for the special occasion. Then why this of all the places in the city?

The grandfather of the child, an octogenarian, soon arrived with a cane in hand. Obviously, it was his idea to invite everyone to this place. The mother was apologetic for the inconvenience but the grandpa beamed with pride. He had known about an initiative of the Red Cross Society that encouraged people to celebrate special occasions at the Sanjhi Rasoi and pay a paltry sum to sustain the initiative.

“Yes, I know that. I have heard about that too. It is good they are doing this,” I said.

The grandpa looked at me and smiled at the hollowness of my words before saying, “Beta, if you so much applaud the good work people are doing why don’t you become a part of it?” I was left speechless.

I decided that I too would celebrate the birthday of my daughter at Sanjhi Rasoi but then I wondered what would be the reaction of my family. I could not translate my thoughts into action but I marvelled at the affirmation of the old man who tried to be part of an endeavour for the cause of the needy.

After the cake-cutting ceremony, where the cake was presented by the Red Cross Society, we were taken around Sanjhi Rasoi. We were surprised to see the amount of food being prepared and fed to the needy and that too in such a hygienic manner. All this was being done without any funds from the government. It was the participation of the community that was keeping the intiative alive. It just proves that a little effort by conscious citizens can make all the difference.

That evening, the children and their parents returned home with gleeful smiles and a pledge to celebrate their birthdays at Sanjhi Rasoi.

WE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD BEING PREPARED AND FED TO THE NEEDY. ALL THIS WAS BEING DONE WITHOUT ANY FUNDS FROM THE GOVERNMENT