Wahid Biryani in Lucknow Turns Vegetarian For First Time in 65 Years to Feed Migrant Workers Passing City of Nawabs Daily

'Adab ke sheher se koi bhooka nahi jaayega': Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Wahid Biryani in Lucknow serves veg dishes for the first time in 65 years, to feed the poor migrant workers crossing UP's capital city on their way to their hometowns

Veg kebabs, bun makkhan, biscuits, sharbat, milk and Navratan biryani have replaced the non-veg platter of Lucknow‘s famous Wahid Biryani & Sons who are serving vegetarian dishes for the first time in 65 years of their history, just so that the poor migrant workers crossing the City of Nawabs do not go hungry amid COVID-19 lockdown. After being thrown out of metropolitan cities by their landlords and savings drying up in the midst of the pandemic, thousands of labourers have been walking back on foot despite the arrangement of Shramik trains and buses, due to irresponsible management of the authorities or unaffordable ticket prices.

Coming to their rescue with the goal “Adab ke Sheher se koi bhooka nahi jaayega (No one will leave Lucknow — the city of etiquettes — hungry)”, Lucknow’s famous eatery Wahid Biryani & Sons set up stalls at four different locations on the city’s outskirts at Agra Expressway. Feeding over 1,500 migrants every day during the last 10-12 days of Ramadan 2020, the food joint has even set up stalls to serve the veg platter at Sitapur Road, Shaheed Path and Polytechnic Chowk apart from the Expressway.

In an interview with The Quint, Naushad Ali Quraishi of Wahid Biryani shared, “Those who have small children, who cannot eat, milk is for them especially. We talk to the mothers to take it along with them, because it may be long before they get it again on their journey back home. Some of them barely have any clothes on, have no food and are exhausted, when they finally have a meal, they have raised their hands to the sky in gratitude and have thanked us.”

Owner of the outlet and Naushad’s elder brother, Abid Ali Quraishi said, “The migrants tell us that they have been coming from over 1,000 kms, and no one has treated them with respect, but they have come here and eaten, and that made them feel like they belong to this country.”

Famous for its delectable awadhi biryani across the country, Lucknow’s ‘Wahid Biryani’ feeding the migrants who are passing via the city on way to their homes.#MuslimSaviourspic.twitter.com/5XjtwSPbI8

— Savej Alam (@SavejAlam6) May 22, 2020

Established in 1955 by Abid’s grandfather Aladdin, Wahid Biryani became a family business after Abid’s father expanded it after which he and his brothers took over it. As per the report in the news agency, the brothers were pained at the plight of the migrant workers and reportedly begin work around 11 am in the morning with a team of 50 staff members. Reaching the varied locations, they have been working till 11 pm to midnight while they, themselves have been fasting during Ramadan and take a break for sehri before commencing with the same routine.