Transcending faith and religion to feed the hungry

A casual gesture of giving food to an old woman got him a blessing; touched, the local realtor decided to feed patients and their attendants at the local cancer hospital, which has now become an organisation

Members of HIM voluntary organisation serving food to patients and their attendants at a cancer hospital in Karimnagar.

Hunger knows no religion, gender, or colour. It is neutral. In these times of polarisation along communal lines, some people have gone beyond and have united for the cause of humanity. One such is a man who is serving people - especially cancer patients and their attendants - by feeding them every Sunday in Karimnagar town.

It all started a year-and-a-half ago when S.G.M. Hussain, alias Haqani, a realtor, was going past a cancer hospital on the Housing Board Colony Road on the outskirts of Karimnagar town when an old woman stopped him and asked where she could find some food. Hussain replied that there was no hotel nearby, and offered to get food for her.

Turning point touch

At the hotel, the owner - knowing Haqani - asked why he was taking a parcel. When the latter told the hotel owner about an old woman waiting for food at the hospital, the owner refused to take money. When Haqani returned and handed over the food packet to the old woman, she offered money, which, Haqani says, he declined. “Then the old woman blessed me by putting her hand on my head, which had really touched my heart and soul,” he recalls.

That set about Haqani thinking about the old woman and the people starving at the hospital. “Later, I decided to serve food to the patients and their attendants at the hospital at least once a week. It was on January 5, 2019, that I first began serving food to 25 people at the cancer hospital by starting a voluntary organisation called Humanity, Insaniyat and Manavatvam (HIM). Now, with the support of friends and others, we are feeding 80 persons every Sunday without any interruption,” says Haqani.

Helping hands all

After seeing his service, his friends and well-wishers, including Hindus and Muslims too joined HIM, and are contributing in feeding the hungry at the cancer hospital. Some pitch in bags of rice, while some others give vegetables, pulses, oil, water packets, plates, etc. What stands out is that not all HIM’s donors are rich, but many are middle-class people.

Vanaja, a widow, who runs a flour mill in the town is one such. She contributes to the ambitious feed the hungry programme by donating one rice bag per month, and also other essentials whenever required. Taking time off, she also participates in food distribution to the patients on all Sundays. Inspired, her friends and others are also donating to feed the hungry programme.

“With the blessings of almighty, I have plans to serve food every day to the patients at the hospital. There is no religion for our charity service. We all want to feed the hungry, and that is our sole motto,” says the altruist proudly.