Entrepreneurs do their bit to bolster protesters’ stamina

For the past three days, the kitchen of Kolapasi takeaway has been un expectedly busy. After finishing the orders for the regular business, some of the staff stayed back to pack food for those who have been protesting at the beach. 

“We would finish cooking by 11 pm and then head to the beach with the food packet and join the protestors,” said Santhosh M of Kolapasi. On Friday, when a shutdown was announced, all the staff were in full support. “On the other days, we pack around 1,000 packets of food, but on Friday we are planning plan to give away more than 15,000 food packets that include vegetarian and non-vegetarian biriyani,” he said. 

Earlier I was spending from my pocket and then a few people from abroad saw the initiative and decided to contribute and sponsor the food. On Friday, the shop was closed. So, we decided to provide as many food packets as possible,” Santhosh added. Many businessmen have gone out of their way to ensure that the protests go peacefully. 

“The movement shouldn’t fizzle out because of hunger,” says Dhilipan M, who coordinated to get food packets during the protest. “One of my friends, who runs a restaurant ensured that they packed extra lunch for the protestors. The best part is he didn’t take money for those 100 packets of food.” 

As more and more people are coming forward in support for the traditional sport, there are individuals who have taken upon themselves to ensure that these people have enough food and water. “I have been distributing water bottles and biscuit packs since Tuesday. I have been buying these items from the nearest store and giving away to people who have been spending the nights there,” says. S Arun, an IT professional.