[wp_ad_camp_1]Qadimi Mardan Hotel being run on donations to provide free of cost meals to destitute persons
By Qadeer Tanoli
Rawalpindi
Qadimi Mardan Hotel, a free meal place for poverty stricken people, is catering the meals of 2,000 to 2,500 persons as an average daily solely on donations.
These donations are openheartedly bestowed by the philanthropists who even don’t want their name to be mentioned to anyone as it’s the cause which matters and not publicity.
This restaurant is purely not meant for free of cost meals as it has its commercial aspect as well.
However, this place is known in the locality for its Lungar Khana or free meal service for needy persons.
The initiative to launch such a restaurant which could both be commercial and charitable was taken by a person named as Nizamuddin before the partition of the subcontinent and he had been actively running this Lungar Khana for almost fifty years till his death.
The eating place is situated at Jamia Masjid Road in Purani Building and it offers variety of edibles for the poor visitors who can’t afford expenses of having meals besides offering its services for other citizens who can pay for eating over here.
One may observe, women, children, elderly persons, labourers, jobless youths, lowly-paid security guards and other persons having their meals during lunch and dinner time over here.
The founding proprietor of it, Nizamuddin was basically tenant at the building who started providing free meals during somewhere in 1946 to the poor public. Soon his initiative was acknowledged by some well-off persons by providing donations. It’s the tradition over here that donors prefer to remain anonymous.
It is a treat to watch seeing generous donors arriving on the spot on their luxurious or humble vehicles and the employees of the hotel rushed towards them to collect the donations. These employees of the restaurants know well by appearances that who is visiting the place for eating and who is over here to donate.
However, it is sad to see hundreds of hungry people, especially the children and elderly persons standing in long queues to get the free meal. This is the place where rulers could gauge the fact that how large part of the society can’t afford to pay for their meals. This is one of the places to learn that urge of satisfying hunger for free gets the sacrifice of the dignity first.
The owners of the restaurant also sometime ask these needy persons to do dishwashing. So free meals are not entirely free meals for some visitors.
This scribe observed a few poor women while washing the dishes during dinner hours at the hotel. When inquired from them they said: “We don’t want to be recognized as those who are habitual eaters for free. We want work to make our both ends meet but this is nowhere in the circumstances.”
Nowadays the owners of the building themselves run affairs of this restaurant after the death of Nizamuddin. According to these owners sometime the donations are not available as are required but free meals are in any case provided.
The restaurant has separate sections for female and male visitors while the women also bring their children to have Lungar.
The restaurant remains open till 11pm from noon and the deprived section of the society stands in large queues when it is time to serve the lungar.
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