Everyday Heroes of Amma Canteen in Hosur

For the poor, a sumptuous helping of warmth and tasty food

It was around 8.15 a.m. Pullayar was the first to arrive outside the Amma canteen, near Hosur bus stand. He was seen dragging himself on the street,, hauling his body, pushing forward with the strength of his knuckles scraping on the concrete road. He waited below the ramp, gazing at the shuttered canteen door that would open anytime then. When the canteen opened, he remained waiting below the edge of the ramp. Selvi, the canteen staff walked out and down the ramp to invite Pullayar inside. Pullayar pushed himself up the ramp and inside the canteen, and sat at its entrance.

Across the canteen counter, a smiling staff member placed 5 large sized idlies and a generous helping of steaming hot sambar on them and handed the plate over to Selvi. Before handing the plate to Pullayar, Selvi brought water in a plastic jug and poured it for him to wash his hands. She stood and watched, as Pullayar dug his knuckles into the idlies and scooped up a mouthful with satisfaction.

The canteen served 2,000 idlies and Pongal for breakfast; and tomato rice, lemon rice, sambar rice and curd rice for lunch.

“You too come and eat. There is idly, and pongal,” offered Selvi. If Amma canteen’s central kitchen had been feeding close to 10 lakh people since the start of the lockdown, the Amma canteen itself had augmented its daily feeding capacity for people like Pullayar, who would have otherwise been pushed to beggary.

There is food for all, three meals a day. The staff working in two shifts of 6 a.m to 2 p.m and from 2 p.m to 9 p.m. Not a frown, not a harsh word, no sign of exhaustion, same courtesy for all, including men like Pullayar – the staff across the counter, neatly dressed, served all – from the homeless destitute and the migrant worker to a white collared professional. “He would not take any money from anyone. He would eat only from us and would return for his next meal,” said Selvi of Pullayar, as she watched him eat. As Selvi spoke, two migrant workers from the North East walked into the Amma canteen and got themselves two plates of piping hot idlies.