India

Visit #BabaKaDhaba, “Wipe His Tears”: Couple’s Plight Moves Social Media

October 8, 2020
newstribe

80-year-old Kanta Prasad has been under severe financial distress due to coronavirus pandemic.

New Delhi:

Somewhere in south Delhi, an elderly couple sells home-cooked meals from a tiny stand, making just enough to buy for the next day’s menu. They have done this for 30 long years.

Last night, the story of their struggle in the coronavirus crisis went viral, moving thousands of people, including celebrities, cricketers and even companies.

It all started with a tweet at around 10 pm.

Vasundhara Tankha Sharma posted a video by a food blogger featuring the couple and said it “completely broke my heart”. She urged the people of Delhi to “please, please go eat at Baba ka Dhaba in Malviya Nagar”.

This morning, “Baba Ka Dhaba” was among the top trends on Twitter.

In the video, 80-year-old Kanta Prasad shares that he and his wife start cooking at 6.30 am and are ready with the day’s meal by 9.30 am. Dal, curry, parathas and rice are kept in large dishes, ready to serve at around Rs 30-50 a plate.

Kanta Prasad, in an orange t-shirt and a mask hanging from his face, runs a ladle through what looks like mouthwatering matar-paneer.

When he is asked how much he has earned, he breaks down and produces Rs 10 notes from a box. In four hours, Rs 50 is all they had managed.

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The story of the elderly couple moved thousands of people, including celebrities, cricketers and even companies.

They hardly ever made huge profits, but the pandemic has been devastating to their little enterprise. The couple gets no help from their children – two sons and a daughter.

Within hours, visuals of the old man wiping his tears racked up thousands of retweets and likes. Many have offered to help the couple financially and others have announced plans for lunch at Baba Ka Dhaba. Among those who have tweeted are actor Sonam Kapoor, cricketer R Ashwin, IPL team Delhi Capitals and food delivery app Zomato.

People have taken photos alongside the Dhaba and posted the address on Twitter. Contributions have poured in for “uncle and aunty”.

“I am sure today #BabaKaDhaba will have more visitors than any other restaurant in Delhi. I don’t know about the money, but Baba will definitely need a waiter this week,” commented one post.

A rare example of the power of social media bringing a smile to the face, many commented.

In a new video, “Baba” has this message: “It is not just me…there are many others who need help, who lost their earnings.”



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