Thrissur: Mahatma Gandhi said, "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread."
Abdul Khadar is one such man who takes this Gandhian value to heart. A resident of Pullottu in the Thrissur district of Kerala, Khadar started a foodbank with an aim to help the hungry people who often pass by his house.
According to a recent interview with travel vlogger Sujith Bhakthan on his YouTube channel Tech Travel and Eat, Khadar started this initiative as his father was an avid Gandhian and also because he too felt the pangs of hunger in his early years.
His dictum is: "The hungry must not come to you for food but instead a system should be in place for them to have access to free food as it is their right".
"Many people discouraged me from proceeding with the initiative as there could be complications over handling food, but with the strong support of my family and friends I launched the foodbank on Gandhi Jayanti last year," he revealed in the interview.
On asking about the day's menu, Khadar replied, "We serve whatever we make at home for our lunch".
Upto 36 packets of home-made food are given out daily, he added.
So if you happen to pass by the Kodungallor- Iranjilikuda road, keep an eye out for the white board with red letters and a metallic glass door that says "Vishakunnavarku Virunnu" (feast for the hungry).
Khadhar who returned from Oman, upon retirement, is a known name among the Malayali migrants in the Gulf.
