Free food at Amma Canteens, a big relief to many

“We were working till 10 pm on Monday. Major news channels then said that Jayalalithaa was fine but the news of her demise came as a shocker. The news came after midnight and there was no place open to buy food or stock up items in the fridge,” says Suresh Kumar, a bank employee. 

On Tuesday morning, all the shops were shut and there was no access to any amenities. “The milkman took a day off as there was no place for him to go buy it. We had to seek milk from our neighbours,” says Priyadarshini, a homemaker. Most people had to depend on food in the fridge for most part of the day. 

However, Amma Canteens in many places were open. Staff of an Amma Canteen located right next to the Egmore railway station had placed a portrait of Jayalalithaa at the premises for visitors to pay respects. 

People who arrived at Egmore by suburban trains to reach Rajaji Hall were surprised at seeing the Amma Canteen open. When enquired, a staff from the canteen requesting anonymity said they had already been instructed that Amma Canteens across Tamil Nadu would function as usual. “The officials visited the premises and directed us not to charge money for food. In the morning, we provided tiffin as usual. The dinner will also be provided free of cost,” he added. 

Apart from general public, even cops and paramilitary forces were seen eating lunch at Amma Canteens. G Anand, a private firm employee staying in a rented house in the city, who never had food from Amma Canteens before, enjoyed sambar rice on Tuesday. “I did not know that the quality of food here was so good. It’s as tasty a sambar rice as those provided in star hotels. Had I known this before, I wouldn’t have wasted so much money on food at regular hotels,” he said. 

Not just in Chennai, but the canteens were open across the state on Tuesday. In Tiruchy, where shops and eateries lowered shutters in mark of respect to Jayalalithaa, the Amma canteens continued to serve food, free of cost, to hundreds of tourists, devotees and commuters. Since it was Ayyappa pilgrimage season, devotees were visiting the Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam. On Tuesday too a large number of devotees on pilgrimage from various parts of the country visited the temple. Almost all of them relied on two Amma Canteens in Srirangam for food.

The AIADMK cadre had organised food at both the canteens and asked the canteen organisers to ready sambar rice and curd rice, which were served till 2 pm. “Since it is a self motivated shut down in the State with even tea stalls remaining closed, we saw the devotees, who had come to the temple struggling for food. We decided to open the canteen and serve food for free in respect of our beloved ‘Amma’,” said, Radhakrishnan, an office bearer of Srirangam branch of AIADMK. 

“We served idlies in the morning, which was sold out in hours,” said Vinnarasi, a member of a Women Self Help Group, who has been administrating the canteen.