The community kitchen initiative started by a group of Jadavpur University students to feed the poor and the destitute at the time of the pandemic has struck a chord.

From a group called “JU EX” to a US-based JU alumnus currently stuck in the city because of the lockdown, help is pouring in to keep the community kitchen running.

A group of students and research scholars started the initiative last Monday, days after lockdown enforced by the novel coronavirus robbed thousands of their daily work and consequently, two square meals.

JU EX, a platform of former JU students created around a decade back, has raised funds and contributed a significant amount of rice, pulses, vegetables and other essential items so the community kitchen can produce khichdi.

Pavement dwellers in many parts of south Calcutta such as Dhakuria, Jadavpur, Garfa and Gariahat are being served bowls of hot khichdi by the university’s volunteers in the afternoon.

“We have bought 40kg of rice, 100kg of pulse, potato and onion that could be consumed for three days, 30 litre of edible oil and 200 eggs. This is in addition to the funds that we are in the process of collecting,” said

Dattatreyo Ghosh, a JU EX member who passed out last year.

The parking lot near gate number 4 of Jadavpur University has turned into a community kitchen. The group is giving food to around 150 people every day.

Anil Chakraberti, who had graduated from the electrical engineering department of JU in the 60s, decided to make a donation after reading about the initiative in The Telegraph.

Residents of Georgia in the US, Chakraberti and his wife Parnika are stuck in the city after their flight was cancelled. “Our flight was scheduled for April 10. I don’t know when we would be able to return. My younger son stays in New York, the worst affected state,” said Anil.

The octogenarian lauded what his successors on the campus are doing for the disadvantaged during the lockdown. “The story on feeding the poor left me elated. As of now, I have donated Rs 10,000. I want to see how they go about their mission. Then, I would help again,” he said.

Riya Ray Nandi, who runs an NGO and along with her husband has donated 30kg rice and 3kg soyabean to the kitchen, told this newspaper: “We are helping the poor in our area, Ganguly Bagan. But these students are doing it on a larger scale, something that is a must in the time of pandemic. Therefore we thought of associating ourselves with the initiative.”

Hindol Majumder, a research scholar at JU who is associated with the initiative, said the contributions have firmed up their resolve to continue with the mission. “With the scale of help that is pouring in we are thinking of scaling up the range,” he said.