The National Restaurant Association of India's (NRAI) team on Wednesday visited the owners of Baba Ka Dhaba, which is run by Kanta Prasad and his wife Badami Devi, and pledged to upgrade their infrastructure and equipment.
Baba Ka Dhaba is a small roadside eatery in Malviya Nagar in New Delhi. The destiny of the elderly couple, Kanta Prasad and his wife Badami Devi, who were struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic-induced lockdown, changed overnight when a huge crowd thronged outside their make-shift food joint to enjoy home-cooked food after a heartbreaking video went viral on social media.
In order to help the elderly couple, NRAI said that it "pledges to upgrade their infrastructure and equipment-making them COVID-compliant so that they are able to continue with their legacy of serving others with a big smile." "We salute their undying spirit. Let's all share this and spread the word," NRAI added.
Good fortune knocked on Kanta Prasad and Badami Devi's door, a night after the story of their struggle amid the unprecedented coronavirus crisis moved lakhs of people, including celebrities, politicians, and even companies, prompting an outpour of support.
The husband over 80-years-old and his elderly wife, both frail and weakened by growing age, had been maintaining the small food kiosk 'Baba ka Dhaba' near Hanuman Temple in Delhi's Malviya Nagar, since 1988. Usually, a popular joint before COVID struck, the couple lost their daily income as people started avoiding roadside food.
A few days back a video on social media showed Kanta Prasad break down as they could not even sell a plate of chappatis and matar paneer. His frail wife rolled out the rotis and he cooked them over the stove fire.
What changed overnight? Nothing, but a small video that went viral on social media. So, you thought viral videos just give negative publicity! Think twice and watch the one on 'Baba Ka Dhaba'. The moving story of the elderly couple, whom even their children have ditched, brought the community together in a humanitarian effort to rebuild their dhaba and hence lives. The video was shared widely on Instagram and Twitter among other social platforms.
