This is a unique bank where one doesn’t deposit cash but the emotion of generosity. It is the ‘roti banks’ which have come up in Shimla to serve the needy.

There are around 25 ‘roti banks’ in Shimla to help run the free canteen ‘langar’ provided by an NGO, ‘Almighty Blessings’ at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) for patients and their attendants.

Around 5000 rotis are collected daily. The banks are supported by around 13,000 school students from 11 schools of Shimla and three schools from adjoining Tattapani, Sunni in Shimla district who replenish the bank daily.

The schools from Shimla helping to run the bank include Tara Hall School, Dayanand Public School, DAV School Lakkar Bazaar, DAV School, New Shimla, Auckland House School, St Thomas, BSN School, Chakkar.

The students bring an additional ‘roti’ daily for their lunch and deposit it in the bank to be served to 2500 persons during the ‘langar’ being run at IGMC and KNH.

Various offices in Shimla including the High Court, District Court, Secretariat, Kumar House, BSNL, SJVNL and 12 localities in Shimla also contribute to the ‘roti banks’. Six villages from adjoining Tattapani near Sunni in Shimla district since last year have also joined in after a patient from the area visited the langar for meals. He was touched by the initiative and volunteered to contribute for the cause motivating the people in the area.

Sarbjeet Singh Bobby, the founder of Almighty Blessings, who is rendering yeoman service for needy people in Himachal conceptualised the idea of the ‘roti bank’ almost three years ago, while running a free canteen providing tea-biscuits and meals at Cancer hospital, IGMC, exclusively for patients and their attendants.

“Students are asked to bring one additional roti daily for the bank. However, some students are so willing to help that they even get up to 10 rotis. Taxis hired by us collect the rotis from the respective banks, while some people themselves deliver the rotis at designated places,” said Sarbjeet.

“The idea of the roti bank took off when I discussed it with the then principal of RKMV College, Meera Walia about shortage of rotis to be served in the canteen. She encouraged her staff and some students to contribute rotis. Then we thought why not reach out to schools. Our first school was Tara Hall that came forward to help the cause,” he said, adding that it soon assumed the shape of a campaign.

“We are motivating more students to join this drive. I often visit schools and deliver talks and lectures to inculcate in students the spirit of sharing. That will go a long way in being sensitive to the concerns of others which is necessary for the betterment of the society,” said Sarbjeet.

Some of the senior students are so enthused with the idea of service towards mankind that they often come to the ‘langar’ on Monday and Thursday to render their ‘sewa’ (services). Angel Shan, a Class 12 student of Tara Hall School, said, “It is such a humbling experience to think about others while contributing towards the cause.

Students from our school also volunteer to visit the ‘langar’ during the trips organised by our school. That helps us relate to the idea of sharing and about service to mankind.” “It has become a religious ritual for us to send rotis for the roti bank for the last three years. This enables us to contribute our little bit to society and has also helped my son learn the lesson of sharing,” said Seema Chauhan, a parent.

Already a name to reckon with in the social circles, Sarbjeet has been serving patients at the hospital for the last 10 years. In 2007 he started running a 24X7 hearse service and even performed the last rites for unclaimed bodies. Besides regular blood donation camps, to extend more help to the patients and their attendants visiting the hospital, he started a free canteen at the Cancer hospital at Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla in 2014, serving tea and biscuits.

Soon he started providing meals, ‘langar’ consisting of rice and dal which was replicated by him at Kamla Nehru Hospital in 2016.

An inspiration to all good Samaritans, Sarbjeet said, “I was always pained by the plight of the poor patients and attendants who often find it difficult to spend money for even two square meals a day. “Garib ka muh, bhagwan ka gullak hota hai (Empty stomachs of the poor are the donation box of Gods). This inspired me to start the free canteen.” Many people host ‘langars’ at the temples, but hosting them at hospitals should also be given a thought, he added.