COMPASSION Vikas Khanna: A Culinary Maestro with a Compassionate Heart By Payal Seth
Payal Seth is an economics researcher at the Tata-Cornell Institute, Cornell University. She is also a passionate author who crafts illuminating articles, dedicated to exploring and celebrating the profound significance of spiritual values in our modern lives. Her articles have been published on several national and international platforms.
April 10, 2020. The COVID-19 Pandemic had already caused havoc all over the world. After facing a myriad of heart-breaking setbacks and unfulfilled promises in his efforts to feed the hungry in India, Vikas Khanna called his mom Bindu Khanna from New York. “Mom, we’ve had some very big and bad mishaps and I don’t want to continue to do this because it is extremely challenging. It seemed that we would be able to help, but it’s not possible. I am too far away and have too many other commitments. … Is there a way you can help me? Just forgive me that I can’t continue doing this.” His Mom said, “When you were a child, you were the first kid in the family who would cut himself with a knife or burn himself and everyone discouraged you from doing things. At that time, your grandmom said that this is not the right thing to do to a child. If he doesn’t burn his hands, he will never have a history of pain towards his achievements. You didn’t stop cooking because you knew these challenges were going to be a part of your journey. So what will you do now? Just walk away? The entire country has celebrated your success. … Your success is not yours, the privilege that you have right now, it belongs to all of us. I do not want you to do anything else. I want you to rise to this occasion because I have given birth to a warrior who is going to stand in the middle of the battlefield and feed India.”
Feed India And on April 11 2020, Khanna did exactly that. He launched what is now the world’s largest food campaign called Feed India. What began as a small failure became one of the largest food drives in the world. Within a few months, they had served 65+ million meals across 135 cities in India! By 2019, Vikas Khanna had achieved all that he had dreamt of since childhood (becoming a Michelin chef) and even more so had become an endearing household name for proud Indians. So, he considered it his personal responsibility to feed the hungry. His compassion, sense of duty, and his mother’s powerful motivational words became
instrumental in bringing together many entities such as the National Disaster Response Force, India Gate (India’s largest rice brand), GOQii, Pepsi, Quaker Oats, and like a domino effect, many other reputed national and international brands joined Khanna’s endeavor. Feed India started supplying dry rations to old age homes, orphanages, daily wage, and migrant workers who were stranded and traveling on foot to their villages due to the nationwide lockdown. The drive also started to distribute cooked meals at train stations, in the buses, and in quarantine centers. The drive went over and beyond feeding the people, as they started distributing masks, sanitary pads, and slippers, among many other necessary items. The drive, its success, and Khanna’s passion behind it were covered by all major international media platforms.
Vikas Khanna, a restaurateur, Michelin-starred chef, and cookbook author, is not only celebrated for his culinary expertise but also for his extraordinary acts of compassion and philanthropy. Born in Amritsar, India, Khanna's journey from a small kitchen in his grandmother's home to the global culinary stage is remarkable. But beyond the glitz and glamour of the culinary world, Khanna's life has been deeply enriched by uplifting others, championing causes, and making a positive impact on society. In this article, we delve into the heartwarming and compassionate acts of Vikas Khanna that have inspired millions around the world. We also focus on how Khanna’s background was instrumental in grounding him in compassion and empathy since his childhood. 7