Delhiites Flock To Baba Ka Dhaba After A Video Of This Elderly Couple Trying To Make Ends Meet Goes Viral . This Is The Positive Side Of Social Media
Today I saw something on social media that made me think about how we have no right to complain about this lockdown. For eight months, we have worked and studied out of the comfort of our homes. Zoom links and Facetime has been used and abused by us. We have saved more money than we have spent. We have been comfortable, secure and safe. Are you with me so far? Good. Now, think about all those people who provide for their family by working for daily wages. What do you think has happened to their business? Take a look at this elderly couple from Delhi, for instance. They run a small dhaba called Baba Ka Dhaba. Yep, I am talking about the same couple whose video is going viral at the moment. This is just one man’s heartbreaking story. Think of all those people who run local businesses that have not been able to survive this lockdown.
The video in question was shot by food blogger Gaurav Vasan. It features an elderly couple who run a small dhaba called, Baba Ka Dhaba, somewhere in South Delhi. The elderly couple has been running the dhaba for 30 long years but they make just enough to prepare the food on their menu for the next day. But they have struggled to survive during this lockdown.
Baba Ka Dhaba became viral overnight. After Gaurav posted this video on his Instagram asking Delhiites to help out, Vasundhara Tankha posted it on Twitter. This morning, it was the number one trending video. The best part? People from all over Delhi flocked to Baba’s little Dhaba to donate money and enjoy the food. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let me tell you about the couple and their struggles first.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGEreflhhLN/
The elderly couple, 80-year-old Kanta Prasad shared that he and his wife Badami Devi, start cooking at 6:30 am and are prepared with that day’s food by 9:30 am. Usually, they sell Dal, curry, parathas and rice for about Rs 30-50 a plate.
In the video, Kanta Prasad shows us a large pot full of delicious looking matar paneer. But when Gaurav asks him how much he has earned, he breaks down and starts crying. As it turns out, in four hours the couple had only managed to earn Rs 50. I won’t lie, I was in tears myself. It’s so disheartening to see people struggling like this. He told Gaurav that the dhaba rarely made huge profits but the pandemic has really ruined their business. I felt even worse when Kanta Prasad said that he and his wife get no help from their three children- two sons and a daughter.
Hi could you please dm me details.
— Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) October 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/TheDeshBhakt/status/1313894976703561728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1313894976703561728%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%2Fdelhi-news%2Fvisit-babakadhaba-in-delhis-malviya-nagar-wipe-his-tears-80-year-old-kanta-prasads-plight-moves-social-media-2306914
.@RICHA_LAKHERA .@VasundharaTankh .@sohitmishra99 .@sakshijoshii .@RifatJawaid .@ShonakshiC .@TheDeshBhakt Visited "Baba Ka Dhaba" n hv done d needful to bring SMILE on their faces as promised. Will take care of them n I am starting a drive 2 take care of similarly placed people. pic.twitter.com/S9A94AmJxK
— Adv. Somnath Bharti: इंसानियत से बड़ा कुछ नहीं! (@attorneybharti) October 8, 2020
To all my friends in Delhi: Please please visit baba ka dhaba for lunch. When I worked in delhi , I survived like many other young professionals on lunch from such dhabas. The food is almost always delicious and the people are all ❤ https://t.co/m2CyiJZkhP
— Mohan Kumaramangalam மோகன் குமாரமங்கலம் (@MKumaramangalam) October 7, 2020
Within hours of this video being uploaded to social media, it racked up thousands of views. Baba Ka Dhaba caught the eye of large companies and even celebrities. A lot of people offered financial support to the couple. From celebrities like Sonam Kapoor to Zomato, everyone offered monetary help in the form of donations.
In one day, Baba Ka Dhaba became the busiest spot in all of Delhi (well, I am exaggerating to make a point). People from all over the city flocked there in large numbers to help the couple, show their support and of course to enjoy the food. The help and support they received because of this video was truly overwhelming.
Also Read: This 50-Year-Old Woman Stood On A Waterlogged Road Under The Pouring Rain For 5 Hours To Warn Commuters About An Open Manhole. Wow!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGFC0RhHt3L/
Delhi: People queue up at #BabaKaDhabha in Malviya Nagar after video of the octogenarian owner couple went viral on social media.
“There was no sale during COVID19 lockdown but now it feels like whole India is with us,” says owner Kanta Prasad, who's running the stall since 1990 pic.twitter.com/Tper7CUVSp
— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2020
Speaking to NDTV, Gaurav said, “When I came here yesterday I had goosebumps on listening to their plight. They had earned barely ₹ 70 a day. They had come at 6:30 am to set up the shop and had spent ₹ 500 but even after lunchtime, they had earned only ₹ 70. So I decided to record and share the video to help them. I am overwhelmed with the kind of support that he has received since then. It is great that there are so many people who want to help this man struggling due to poverty.”
This, right here, is the positive side of social media. It’s stories and videos like this that remind us that platforms like Twitter and Instagram can be used to help people instead of trying to tear each other down. The outpour of love and support that Baba Ka Dhaba received is honestly reaffirming. People are ready and willing to help others in need out in any way they can. Especially during this pandemic. And after everything that has happened in these last few months, I have to say I am ecstatic and a little relieved.
Instead of focusing on catfights between Kangana Ranaut and whatever actor she is attacking that week or persecuting Rhea Chakraborty or leaking Deepika Padukone’s WhatsApp chats, this is social media should be used for. Helping people that need our help. There are hundreds of small enterprises like Baba Ka Dhaba that need our attention and support during these pressing times. Why not help them like so many Delhites so graciously helped Kanta Prasad?
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/a-94-year-old-woman-reunited-with-her-family-thanks-to-google-and-whatsapp-forty-years-after-she-disappeared-this-is-heart-warming/
