More friendly people, many happy children who took plates of food, several waved good bye as we left. The small homes or chawls connected to one another were just off the main road but barely accessible by rickshaw. The poor people here in Siliguri need a great deal more than food. They need more clothes and particularly warm clothes and blankets for winter.

Menu: Rice, Great northern beans, cucumber, eggplant / brinjal

Some of the people recognized us, and there was more warmth this time, with deep respect shown by all, no pushing or shoving, just quietly waiting for their plate. A few sat some distance and waited for all others to take, then only they came and took or we had to call them to come and take. The behavior of the adivasis was the most dignified and civilized of all so far, and this despite their poverty. From this visit we increased to two large pots of mixed rice, vegetables and beans (called khichree). When the first pot was empty, the driver put it outside on the ground. Immediately a cow came and licked up whatever remained! To make the rice we are putting oil, adding whole spices such as black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and then adding rice, water and salt. We fry the vegetables separately with more spices and fresh green chilies, ginger, coriander and curry patta. We also cook different kinds of dried beans each day, such as northern beans, lentils, small red beans, etc. When everything is cooked we mix the rice, beans and vegetables together. In this way people are getting starch / carbohydrates, vitamins from the vegetables and protein from the beans. At present we are cooking about 20 kg of rice, 5 kg of vegetables and 1 kg of dried beans daily. We need to increase the amount of vegetables to 20 kg daily and beans to 5 kg daily in the rice, and are waiting for more funds in order to do this. We use 1 kg soya oil daily in all cooking. We also add powdered milk and dessicated coconut to the rice as it is cooking. It tastes good and above all adds more nutritional value to what we are serving the people. Up til now we had used American paper plates but today finished those and switched to local disposable plates made of sal leaves.

Menu: Rice, American pinto beans, carrots, potato

At Fulbari Colony the people were extremely poor the poorest we had seen thus far. They were also the most aggressive to date. Here they were thin, worn out looking and genuinely desperate for food. It was a small community, food remained, so we moved on and found the road workers. They came in significant numbers and were very eager to take food. At New Jalpaiguri Station people were extremely poor, living in colonies next to the station, very aggressive and unfortunately we ran out of food and could not feed all. The people at the station were the most poorly clothed. Many children were naked, which we did not see at any other place so far. . 150 plates were taken in rickshaw but were finished before the food so remaining food was put in people’s outstretched hands.

Menu: Rice, dried white beans, brinjal / eggplant, potato, spinach.

Here we fed Santals (adivasis) who were neatly dressed with neat homes. They were extremely disciplined and well behaved. By themselves they formed a line. They quietly asked for extra food, i.e., for large servings on their plates. All 150 plates and food were finished by the time we departed. On the way back we passed very shabby looking tent homes with no protection on the sides. Unfortunately, we had no more food to give to these people.

Menu: rice, green split peas, parval, sweet potato

Went to slums behind wholesale bazaar in Matigara, disabled colony in Matigara. As we went to two places, there was not enough food at the disabled colony to feed all.

Menu: rice, great northern beans, sweet potato, potato

Went to Fulbari Muslim colony and then to New Jalpaiguri train station. As our rickshaw turned down the path into the field where the tents of the Muslim refugees are permanently pitched, children began running toward the rickshaw shouting “Khichree! Khichree!” As we drove away, children sat in circles on the ground eating happily. As food remained, we went to New Jalpaiguri Station and distributed to coolies and beggars there who were very hungry. One week back we were there and the beggars were so unruly we had to leave. By a miracle, this time they were 100 percent better behaved, stood with discipline, and were smiling and happy to see we had returned again.

Menu: rice, lentils, cabbage, eggplant

We returned again to the Dagapur tea estate, which was the site of our very first journey. These adivasis are the finest people. Highly civilized in conduct, quietly taking the food and walking either to their small huts or sitting on the ground in circles and eating. A few of the young men requested second helpings. It is difficult to do this work because so much more is required than frood. People need food, clothes, proper shelter that gives protection from the elements, minimal health care and education. Such simple items that Americans take for granted like soap and water, like toothpaste and toothbrush, are unknown to these people.

Menu: rce, lentils, cauliflour, potato

Rajendernagar where Hindu refugees stay

Time: 5:00 -7:00 pm

It was the third visit to the Hindu refugees in Rajendernagar. Hundreds flocked around the rickshaw. It was difficult to keep up. Not all could be accommodated. Despite this, they welcomed us with affection and warmth. Here again, their homes cannot even be called homes. They are just pieces of tin somehow strung together. The basic hunger to live is evident everywhere. But how to solve the larger, costlier problems of shelter and protection from the elements, from the cold winters here?

Menu: rice, toor dal, parval, carrot, potato

We visited a tea estate just on the edge of Siliguri and fed very poor adivasis who stay there; some are employees in the tea gardens. Their wages are sub-minimal. We visited slums in Mattigara. We visited Patti Colony Junction and fed hungry Hindu refugees living in tin shanties. We went to Fulbari Colony and fed Muslim refugees living under pieces of plastic in the middle of a field. We went to New Jalpaiguri Train Station and fed beggars, coolies, sadhus, all who came to the rickshaw. We went to Upper Bagdogra Tea Estate and fed almost entirely children. We went to different slums in Mattigara behind the wholesale bazaar and fed people very eager for our khichree. We went to the colony for disabled people and fed all of them. To some places we were able to return two and even three times. The reason is to make a connection with the people there. Though we have no signs or banners yet on our rickshaw, though we do not speak the local language, but we do speak the language of the heart. For this reason we have made some affectionate connections with some persons at each of the above places.

In the beginning we purchased all kinds of vegetables, including parval, carrot, potato, sweet potato, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, cucumber, spinach. We soon began to sort out (1) as per cost, with some vegetables being 10 rupees a kilo and others being 20 and 30 rupees a kilo. These are wholesale prices. At other bazaars they are far more. (2) as per ease of preparation. Vegetables like parval and even cauliflower involve lengthy preparation time. Being still without any paid or volunteer labor, we had to find ways to (1) keep costs down and (2) keep the labor to a minimum.

We are preparing and distributing on each trip 20 kg of rice, 10 kg of vegetable, 1 kg of oil and 2 kg of dried beans/lentils. We hope to raise these numbers to a steady ratio of 20 kg rice with 20 kg of vegetable and 5 kg of dried lentils along with 1 kg of oil and spices. Dried beans are very costly here. Up to this point we are using dried beans brought with us from the US.

The other major expense in the work thus far is the auto rickshaw which is coming to 300 and 400 per trip. At the present time the auto rickshaw is most convenient, as car rental would be twice the cost and perhaps more work involved in food distribution. Although, if funds are forthcoming we would expand the operation to jeep, SUV or van and adjust accordingly.

We urgently need more funds. In addition we will seek more areas inside and outside Siliguri where the poorest of the poor reside. We will also now begin to meet members in the pubic domain who may like to help and work with us to expand the project of feeding the people of Siliguri region.