Participants, students and parents having food at Govt Town Higher Secondary School. Photo: Nelson K PaulKannur: The overnight announcement of a hartal by BJP leadership was a rude surprise to the thousands of participants and their parents and teachers who were in Kannur for the 57th state school Kalolsavam. The ones who found themselves in a fix were those who had events away from the main ground.
"We walked for about 2 kilometers early in the morning and had our breakfast from a small restaurant. We don't know where we would go for lunch. Even if they serve food for all at oottupura, we won't be able to go there on time for lunch as the event is much likely to get delayed," Ramanath told Onmanorama on Thursday morning at Govt Town Higher Secondary School, the venue for Kathakali Group (High School) and two Urdu events.
Some other parents too shared the same concern. In fact, several others – from Kathakali's supporting artists to journalists covering the event – felt the hunger pangs as they realized that they won't be able to find food as all the shops were closed.
Then, the school officials sprung into action. The officials requested two women who prepare midday meals in the school to come to work and they readily agreed. The school did not have much rice stocked up, but they decided to cook using whatever they had.
Soon after 1 o'clock, teachers went around the two venues and informed people that kanji (rice porridge) and cherupayar (green gram) curry were ready.
The hungrier ones, including Malayala Manorama photographer Arun John, were asked to go to a small room in a corner of the school. They were served with hot kanji and curry, in ample quantity to satiate their hunger pangs. Kids, teachers and parents happily sat down on the school veranda to have the meal.
When Onmanorama quizzed a schoolteacher on their kind gesture, he did not see anything special in what they did. "It's hartal day and we thought it would help people if we serve them lunch, that's all," he said, before hurriedly walking off to serve the next group.
