Mumbai-based vada pav seller contributes day’s earnings for soldier’s welfare
Mangesh Ahiwale sold vada pav for Rs 5 from 10 am to 8 pm yesterday (Picture: ANI)
In a gesture that is winning the hearts of people, a Mumbai-based vada pav seller pledged a day’s earnings to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the welfare of soldiers.
On a regular day, Mangesh Ahiwale would sell vada pavs at Rs 14. However, on January 30, he sold the snack at a 60 percent cheaper rate (Rs 5) so that more people could afford it, and thus contribute more.
“This is just a small initiative so that people respect our soldiers. The amount is Rs 5 because I want that even a poor man is able to buy a vada pav. The whole collection will be sent to Nirmala Sitharaman,” Ahiwale told ANI.
He decided to take the initiative on Tuesday, which marked the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.
Hundreds of people thronged his stall yesterday to express their gratitude and Ahiwale plans to send the total collections of the day to the Union Minister by today.
Ahiwale said he took this initiative after he realised that people were remembering soldiers only on January 26 and August 15.
“Every Indian respects the soldiers of the nation and I am also one of them. Except on January 26 and August 15, the remembrance for these soldiers is diminishing. This is just a small initiative so that people respect them every day,” he added.
The vada pav seller has taken such charitable decisions on at least two other occasions.
In 2015, Ahiwale donated Rs. 20,000 to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for farmers in drought-hit Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. He repeated the humanitarian gesture last year for a family of Elphinstone Stampede victim.
Mangesh Ahiwale, a Vada pav seller from #Mumbai, sold Vada pav at Rs 5 instead of Rs 14 from 10 am to 8 pm today; the amount collected will be handed over to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tomorrow for welfare of soldiers #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/dsVPLkOomy
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2018
With ANI inputs
