A Sikh langar fed hundreds of people who did not have a New Year brunch to look forward to on Friday.

A team of volunteers of Langar on Wheels, which was instrumental in feeding tens of thousands of people during the lockdown, went to government hospitals, railway stations and shelter homes around the city on New Year Day.

Children were given milk and bananas and adults were given khichdi, blankets and other warm clothes.

At the hospitals, the recipients comprised relatives and friends of patients. Many of them had come from outside Calcutta. They had camped on the outdoor premises of the hospitals. Rickshaw-pullers, mutiyas (people who ferry load on vans or on their backs), porters, rag-pickers, beggars and many out-of-work labourers were among the recipients at most other stops.

At the hospitals, the recipients comprised relatives and friends of patients. Many of them had come from outside Calcutta.

“We have initiated a special New Year drive keeping in mind that while some are staying back in the warmth of their homes, many may not be able to keep themselves warm this New Year,” said Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, chairman of the IHA foundation that organised the drive.

Pictures by Gautam Bose and Sanat Kr Sinha