Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Students drive away chill from pavements

Staff Reporter

Distribute blankets among beggars and urchins

WARMTH AND CHEER: Students of P.B. Siddhartha College of Arts & Science distributing bedsheets to pavement-dwellers at Benz Circle in Vijayawada on Monday. PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR.

VIJAYAWADA: Winter bites no fiercer anywhere than on the pavements. This year, it has been more biting. Beggars and urchins, covering themselves tightly under layers of torn cloth, lay at every nook and corner in the open.

On Monday night, when the city fell half asleep, a bunch of students remained wakeful to this reality. They set out on motorbikes and cars at midnight to make winter nights warm for the homeless.

The business management students of P.B.Siddhartha College of Arts and Science distributed blankets and drove away chill from pavements at Benz Circle, Railway Station and Bus Station.

It was part of a programme launched by the students of the Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) course a few years ago and being followed by successive batches.

Gaganpreeth Singh (Wikky), K.P.Sarath and Ritesh Jain were all there carrying blankets along with their classmates and distributing them among the pavement dwellers. They mobilised money from within their few resources available and bought the blankets. The final year students organised the event as the second year students closely followed it so that they would continue the tradition next year.

Words of gratitude

When the young ones appeared at Benz Circle, the first recipient of a blanket was overjoyed at the surprise and useful gift. As they distributed some more, many more beggars and urchins gathered in their midst. Not every beggar could benefit from the gesture, but certainly their hearts warmed up at the sight of the young ones' attitude.

Laxman and Ramji, both physically challenged and into begging, had a studied look at the blankets and uttered words of gratitude to the students. Ramji said that this winter had been more cruel and they had to keep awake till late unable to bear the chill.

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