Meals made by Tihar inmates feed the hungry

Lunch and dinner for 500 people being served at government schools to daily wagers and the homeless

08/04/2020, HEMANI BHANDARI,NEW DELHI

Healthy fare: Rotis made by prisoners at Tihar jail being served to the needy in New Delhi on Tuesday. Shiv Kumar PushpakarShiv Kumar Pushpakar

On Tuesday afternoon at a government school in New Delhi, residents of JJ cluster in Khyala’s Raghubir Nagar stood in two separate queues waiting for meals. While this could have been mistaken for a common scene during the COVID-19 lockdown, what stood out was that the food was prepared by Tihar jail prisoners

Starting a couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown, meals prepared by Tihar inmates was distributed within a 5 km radius of the jail based on requirements, said a senior officer at Tihar jail.

At the school, head warden Yogender Kumar with his team and 10 Civil Defence officials ensured that the residents maintained a safe distance from each other and received dal, chapatis, and rice.

Interestingly, the meals to be distributed are essentially leftovers after the inmates are served at the jail. “On most days, food for at least 40-50 people are left over after every meal. Therefore, it was decided that we must send this food for those who need it, especially the ones dependent on daily wages. Therefore, the food that is left from nine prisons in the Tihar jail premises is collected and sent,” the prison official said.

Lunch is served inside the prison at 11 a.m., and so by 11.45 a.m., the officials get an idea of how much will be surplus. Mr. Kumar then starts collecting from each prison and finally leaves for the various venues by 12.30 p.m. for lunch and by 6.30 p.m. for dinner — with food for about 500 people.

The head warden said the food is taken to places where the Delhi government has set up relief centres. Government officials share the requirement with Mr. Kumar, who is tasked with the transport of food from Tihar jail.

The official said when a superintendent-rank officer of one of the jails shared the idea of food distribution with the inmates, one had said, “Sir, we will eat one chapati less, if required.”

At the JJ cluster, people were unaware that the food was prepared by Tihar inmates. A 28-year-old woman, Devi, said, “It doesn’t matter who is cooking as long as we are getting food.” However, as Devi went an hour after the distribution began, she had to return empty-handed. Meanwhile, many others said the food tasted “okay”.

School principal R.B. Singh said people queued up at 8 a.m. on Tuesday in the hope of getting dry rations. However, these people were later informed that there was no such facility. “People kept a bag or one of their belongings to mark their place in the queue even if they don’t stand,” Mr. Singh said.