BHUBANESWAR: Real life heroes are rare to find and the capital has seen a few in the aftermath of devastating cyclone ‘Fani’. Meet Bimohan Parhi, owner of a restaurant at Madhusudan Nagar, who offers free meals to a thousand people every day in the capital.
The humane endeavour was undertaken by Parhi along with few staffs of his restaurants. They provide cooked meal consisting Rice, ‘Dalma’, ‘Chatni’ and ‘Bhaja’. From slum dwellers to middle class families, all are welcome to his ‘Food for All’ camp. In a brief interaction with Orissa Post, Parhi threw light on his humanitarian effort.
He said, “I have earned money all my life and it’s time to give back to the society. I have seen people dying out of hunger and thirst. I couldn’t let that happen again. I have decided to do whatever I can to lend a helping hand to the cyclone victims. Hence, I along with a few of my friends and staff arranged water supply and a DG set where people can charge their phone battery.”
“My family is going gaga over my humanitarian effort. However, I don’t think there is anything special about it. I have done my bit. Good deeds are very tough to do, but once you start, it becomes a habit. A resident of Madhusudan Nagar Rebati Majhi said, “I have never seen someone like Parhi Babu. He is like a demigod for us. He should be seated in a position of power so that he can help common masses. Feeding a thousand people every day is no joke. May the Almighty bless him with all good things!” he added.
Parhi, who used to work for Tata group earlier, feels that anyone can be an angel only if they start doing instead of preaching and giving lectures on morality. The devastating effects of Fani have shocked many. However, Parhi has shown the way in terms of offering solace to victims of the cyclone.