Mira Road restaurant owner starts 'Neki ki Tokri' to help feed the poor

Members of the trust said that the response has been tremendous. Pic/Hanif Patel

While the pandemic has left many people with no money or food, it has also brought out the best in others. Like the owner of a restaurant from Mira Road (in collaboration with Saqlainiya Charitable Trust), who has come up with a simple idea to help the poor or those troubled by the pandemic. He has begun a 'neki ki tokri' - basket of goodness, similar to a community fridge, to feed the needy.

Muhammed Jamil Qureshi Saqlaini, 45, the owner of Saqlaini Darbar, at Nayanagar, Mira Road, has placed a counter with tokris (baskets) outside the restaurant. He encourages his customers to donate cooked food and put it in the tokris for needy people. People can also donate homecooked food.

Saqlaini was watching random videos on his mobile phone, when he came across a restaurant in Turkey, which was doing this. "Inspired by their noble work, our trust decided to do the same. It's been four days since we began, and there has been a tremendous response from people," said Saqlaini.

A person can donate as little as a single roti. "It is not that people only buy food from our hotel to put in the tokri, people can bring home-cooked food, too" said Saqlaini.

Also helped in the lockdown

"During the lockdown, our trust arranged and served food to around 350 people twice daily. God says feeding a hungry person is the one of the greatest neki - act of goondess. In the past, our elders have been doing this work, now this responsibility is ours," said Saqlaini.

He has been telling restaurants about his idea so that more people can help the needy in society.

People have appreciated Saqlaini's Neki Ki Tokri. A customer said that this pandemic has not only destroyed the livelihood of labourers, but has also slowed their chance of a recovery. "So I am happy with this idea of donating food without being acknowledged for it. It feels nice to feed a needy person," the customer said.

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