Delhi’s ‘Baba ka Dhaba’ had turned into a national sensation, with the old couple’s distress in times of a pandemic taking social media by storm, and good Samaritans coming forward to help them alleviate their woes. While the gesture of many Indians of donating money towards the betterment of the old couple is indeed heartening, the latest developments which have come to fore are a cause of grave concern and highlight how the mindless extension of help towards a noble cause via third parties can end up disastrously. In fact, Kanta Prasad, owner of Baba Ka Dhaba had only recently filed a complaint against ‘influencer’ Gaurav Wasan for misappropriation of funds. The alleged influencer had played a primary and pivotal role in the story of ‘Baba ka Dhaba’ turning super-viral.
The fraud which Kanta Prasad has been a victim of serves as a first-hand example of how socialism does not work even in the minutest of cases, and how helping a cause of an individual only for the sake of gaining glamour is a great disservice to the culture of this land. As the Baba ka Dhaba story unfolded, people from across the country poured in their contributions into the bank accounts of those who were aiming only for a personal cut, in order to make a hefty profit out of publicizing the issue.
Prasad, in his complaint against Gaurav Wasan, had accused him of “intentionally and deliberately sharing only his and his family/friends’ bank details and mobile numbers with the donors and collected a huge amount of donation through different mode of payments i.e. bank account/wallets without providing any information to the complainant.”Additionally, Wasan has also been accused of not providing details of the financial transactions to Prasad.
As people stormed Baba ka Dhaba to allegedly help the poor couple in their time of need, Indians around were elated at the generosity of those flocking to the Dhaba. What many missed, however, was the fact that such visits were aimed at garnering social mileage and praise alone for many of those who went to the location. Taking selfies with the old couple, many people took to paying a one-time visit and then vanishing eternally with the selfies and pictures they had taken to put a stamp of authority on their generosity towards those in need of help. Typical socialism was practised for a few days until the issue settled and Kanta Prasad started recording meagre earnings once again.
The involvement of third parties in the entire fiasco also speaks volumes about how there should be nobody involved between those conducting a transaction. People should have identified the details of bank accounts they were transferring their money into, and not blindly go by the word of one pompous individual who claims to be an ‘influencer’. While Kanta Prasad received loads of momentary help and traffic to his stall, others like him continue to dwell in anonymity. Does anyone help them or click selfies with them? No, because that would serve no purpose on social media.
The experiences of Kanta ‘Baba’ should serve as a textbook case for Indians, to not help those in need and broadcast it to the world; instead, use verified channels of transactions and help those who need to be helped anonymously.
नेकीकरदरिया में डाल
I would have appreciated if the author would have researched and brought upon both sides of stories instead of portraying the entire scenario from one sided perspective.
The message from the article is going against the reality and somewhere it’s maligning the image and reputation of the youtuber as well.
The gist of story is true. Socialism appeals to brainchilds. You can not SUSTAIN such practices. Brainchild socialists should learn that THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH.