Vadodara: Proud baby girl’s cop ‘dad’ feeds the poor

VADODARA: He couldn’t experience the joy of welcoming Lakshmi in his native village in Banaskantha. But police constable RS Galsar of Manjalpur police station found his own way to celebrate the birth of his second child.
He shared the joy by treating hundreds of slum dwellers living Atladara checkpost with food by starting a community kitchen near-by.
Galsar has been keeping watch over vehicles coming from and going to Padra at Atladara check post since janata curfew on March 24.On March 28, Galsar’s family members in Banaskantha broke into celebrations as the cop was blessed with a baby girl.
“My friends and I were planning to start a community kitchen for these people many were sleeping hungry. On March 28 when we had just dispatched the first batch of food, I received the news that I have been blessed with a baby girl and all family members were celebrating,” Galsar said.
As holidays of all cops have been cancelled, Galsar regrets that he could not be beside his wife.
“I cannot join the celebrations, so I decided to serve the food to slum dwellers and celebrate in my own way,” he said.
“We have got an opportunity to serve people in times of distress but when people get meals two times in a day it is nothing less than celebration,” said Galsar, who is a cop in Vadodara for 11 years.
Galsar said he plans to take a long holiday to spend time with my daughter, his second child, once the situation normalizes.
Besides serving food in slum dwellers, Galsar and his friends also hand over packets to those are walking back to their hometown on Padra road. The team had started with small meals like ‘khichdi’, but now with donations pouring in they are also making different dishes.
“Eating khichdi daily can be too monotonous so we have started to cook different dishes,” Galsar said. A cook has been offering his services on voluntary basis but during his off-duty hours Galsar too helps with chopping vegetables.“We will continue this community kitchen as long as the lockdown remains so that nobody sleeps hungry,” he told TOI.
Inspector BG Chetariya of Manjalpur police station told TOI: "It’s a proud moment for me as a person working under me is working like this without getting concerned about the risks he is exposed to. Despite such a happy occasion at his home, he is working for the people and I hope it continues to do great work.”