Some dates become unforgettable, not because something special happened on that day but because they create a feeling of goodness in the society. 20th July is one such date. I will come to the events you remember reading this later. But before that, let me take you to IIT Kanpur on 20th July 2024. Actually, this story started much earlier. Its seeds came from Padmashree awarded and well-known physics teacher Prof. HC Verma, who believed that even a small contribution could bring about extraordinary change. Professor Emeritus at IIT Kanpur. Verma taught physics there from 1994 to 2017 and later served as a special advisor to the campus’ Opportunity School. Established in 1964, this school has been providing free education to the supporting staff of the campus and children of needy families living nearby. Many of these children used to come to school hungry. Some would faint in the assembly. Some did not feel like studying or did not come to school at all, because studying on an empty stomach is impossible. Pro. Verma wanted to change this. The idea of providing nutritious food to children through an NGO first came to his mind in 2017, but it did not take off due to differences over funding. When this idea came up for discussion again in 2024, the second hurdle was that the school did not have the number of students the NGO had asked for. But instead of accepting defeat, the IIT community found its own way. Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering T.K. Guha, who was also the warden of Hall-5, along with mess manager Anshu Joshi came up with a simple solution that every student of Hall-5 would pay only Rs 5 every week from his pocket money. And on July 20, 2024, the first meal was served to the children. What initially seemed like a small experiment soon became a campaign. By November 2024, Girls Hostel-1 along with Halls 1, 3 and 8 will also be added, so that children can get nutritious food on all five days of school every week. As this news spread through the Students Gymkhana and Hostel Affairs Council of Students, more students started joining it. Today, 1,649 students of IIT, Kanpur contribute Rs 5 every week. Its economics are very simple. It costs approximately Rs 3,000 to provide a nutritious meal to about 250 children at one time, which means only Rs 20 per month is added to the mess bill of each student. Bulk purchasing of commodities like rice, wheat, gram and kidney beans reduces costs and makes the program sustainable. But its real benefits cannot be measured in money terms. Teachers noticed that children became more healthy, energetic and attentive. His attendance improved and he became happier. Most importantly, IIT students learned a lesson that no book can teach – if you share even a small part of yourself, it can make a big difference in the lives of others. Now let us return to 20th July 2026. Strangers from across the country delivered food to the students protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. No one knows who gave him the money. Even those who sent the food do not know who ate it. But quietly, without any publicity, the food kept arriving, as if compassion had found its own way. There are many similarities between these two stories. Maybe goodness also works like this. The good we do may never be returned to us in the same form. Many times we do not get its results directly. But somewhere, someday it does reach someone in need – perhaps our own children or future generations. The point is not to underestimate even small acts of kindness. Good deeds have their own way of coming back. If they do not reach us directly, they return to the lives of the generations coming after us.
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N. Raghuraman’s Column: Goodness returns, if not to us then it reaches our children.
