Even though the Covid 19 crisis caused many legendary eateries and restaurants to shut shops due to fall in business; several restaurants did their bit to help those afflicted with the virus, either by giving free food or creating awareness. In the wake of the rising cases, and the general ‘complacency’ that has set in among the public, a Chandigarh vendor, named Sanjay Rana, is now offering free Chole Bhature to those who have taken the third, booster dose of the COVID 19 vaccine, to encourage more and more people to go for the jab.
Previous year in April, India administered vaccines to combat the novel coronavirus infection. This year, the government initiated, a third, precautionary dose of the vaccine. Recently, all above 18 years of age have been deemed eligible for the booster shot, but the slow uptake of the third shot, has been a cause of concern among experts, who are predicting another wave soon.
Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time that Sanjay Rana is in news for his noble initiative. Last year, he drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself for offering free chole bhature to those who bring their Vaccine certificate on the same day they got their jab. "To be able to savour Sanjay Rana ji's 'Chhole Bhature' free, you will have to show that you have taken the vaccine on the same day. He will give you tasty 'Chhole Bhature' as soon as you show him the vaccination message," Modi had then said, in his "Mann Ki Baat" radio broadcast. PM Modi further praised his sense of duty and service towards society with his kind initiative.
Almost a year has passed by, and Rana still runs a humble Chole Bhature food stall in Chandigarh. He has been running the stall for close to 15 years. Last year, it was his daughter Ridhhima and niece Riya had last year who had given him the idea to give out free "Chhole Bhature" to those who took their shots. And this year again, he is offering free Chole Bhature to those who show the proof for the precaution dose on the same day.
Through his offer, Sanjay is determined to encourage people to come forward and volunteer for the third dose. Several parts of the country has witness a spike in infection rates, and to combat the same, it important that people are fully vaccinated. The ‘complacent attitude’ of people could be harmful in the long run, “Why should we wait till the situation goes out of hand? Lessons should be learnt from the kind of situation which prevailed in April-May 2021," said Rana in an interview to PTI.
Sanjay had offered free Chole Bhature for seven months starting from May, last year. And he does not mind doing that again this year for a few weeks, if that helps increase volunteers.
Sanjay who hails from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, has studied till class 10, that was when his father passed away and the responsibility of his family fell on his shoulders. Since childhood he was keen to serve the country, and join the armed forces, but destiny had other plans.