Unlike 'Baba ka Dhabha', this 'Rotiwali Amma' awaits support in Agra
Oct 19, 2020
Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 19 : Not every roadside stall can turn into sought after "Baba ka Dhabha", and not every octogenarian can garner support after a video of her empty eatery goes viral.
In stark contrast to the now-famous "Baba ka Dhabha" in Delhi, a roadside stall of "Rotiwali Amma" in Agra is still awaiting customers.
Also an 80-year-old, she too serves roti, dal, vegetables, and rice for Rs 20 a plate. Running her stall near St John's College in Agra for the last 15 years, Bhagwan Devi, a widow, has been catering to mostly rickshawallas and labourers.
But, like all other businesses, small or big, her's too saw a downfall after the COVID-induced lockdown. Even her usual customers are scarce due to the coronavirus threat. Moreover, her's being a roadside stall, she always faces a threat of being removed from the footpath from where she runs her eatery.
Amma says her two sons don't look after her and that's why she runs this small eatery to earn a livelihood. "Nobody is helping me. Had somebody been there with me, I won't have faced this situation. Most of the time, I am asked to leave this place. Where will I go? My only hope is if I get a permanent shop," she says.
Her video too went viral on social media like "Baba ka Dhabha", but as luck or public sympathy would have it, her story didn't turn out to be a Cinderella story. She is still waiting for the supporting shoes to step in.
