<p>For close to 15 months, octogenarian Baba Karnail Singh Khaira is working 24x7 and his selfless social work is sure to inspire many.</p>.<p>Popularly known as Khaira Babaji, he has fed over 30 lakh people in ‘Guru-ka-Langar’, near the Karanji village off the National Highway No 7 in the Yavatmal district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.</p>.<p>“I am just serving….whatever is happening is the wishes of Waheguruji,” the 82-year-old Khaira Babaji told <em>DH</em> over the phone from Yavatmal district.</p>.<p>After the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, the lockdown was announced and everything came to a standstill.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-reports-over-152-lakh-fresh-covid-19-cases-3128-deaths-991969.html" target="_blank">Read | India reports over 1.52 lakh fresh Covid-19 cases, 3,128 deaths</a></strong></p>.<p>Khaira Baba came out and decided to start a community kitchen and help out lakhs of migrants who walked on foot, by road in buses, trucks and even container transporters. “It was the only place in a stretch of over 400-plus km which had a functional eatery, functioning round the clock,” he said.</p>.<p>“It worked both ways…when people came to know about the community kitchen, people started coming in large numbers to have a meal and continue their journey and so did donations,'' he said, adding that by the grace of God, the seva never stopped.</p>.<p>“In the initial days, on some occasions, we were worried as there was no ration left but immediately truckloads came and even from anonymous people,” he said.</p>.<p>“A vegetable biryani, mostly with potatoes and brinjal or cauliflower, comprised the main menu along with dal and chapatis,” he said, adding that it kept the needy people going. “People from nearby villages too used to come and also from tribal forest areas,” he said.</p>.<p>Khaira Babaji initially had 11 people to help out but the group is now as big as 25. “Right from cleaning utensils to chopping vegetables to cooking, they take care of everything,” he said.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/post-covid-inflammatory-syndrome-on-the-rise-among-kids-991886.html" target="_blank">Also Read | Post-Covid inflammatory syndrome on the rise among kids</a></strong></p>.<p>Khaira Babaji’s story is inspiring. He left his house aged 11 to serve people and humanity. “I travelled to many places in India, went to the Middle East, Germany and other European countries…all I did was ‘<em>seva</em>’ with the blessings of Guru,” he said. Initially in Maharashtra, he stayed in Nanded and now in Yavatmal.</p>.<p>"I speak fluent English, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Dutch and German, besides of course, Marathi….I do not have formal education…social media and WhatsApp are difficult for me," Khaira Babaji said.</p>
<p>For close to 15 months, octogenarian Baba Karnail Singh Khaira is working 24x7 and his selfless social work is sure to inspire many.</p>.<p>Popularly known as Khaira Babaji, he has fed over 30 lakh people in ‘Guru-ka-Langar’, near the Karanji village off the National Highway No 7 in the Yavatmal district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.</p>.<p>“I am just serving….whatever is happening is the wishes of Waheguruji,” the 82-year-old Khaira Babaji told <em>DH</em> over the phone from Yavatmal district.</p>.<p>After the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, the lockdown was announced and everything came to a standstill.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-reports-over-152-lakh-fresh-covid-19-cases-3128-deaths-991969.html" target="_blank">Read | India reports over 1.52 lakh fresh Covid-19 cases, 3,128 deaths</a></strong></p>.<p>Khaira Baba came out and decided to start a community kitchen and help out lakhs of migrants who walked on foot, by road in buses, trucks and even container transporters. “It was the only place in a stretch of over 400-plus km which had a functional eatery, functioning round the clock,” he said.</p>.<p>“It worked both ways…when people came to know about the community kitchen, people started coming in large numbers to have a meal and continue their journey and so did donations,'' he said, adding that by the grace of God, the seva never stopped.</p>.<p>“In the initial days, on some occasions, we were worried as there was no ration left but immediately truckloads came and even from anonymous people,” he said.</p>.<p>“A vegetable biryani, mostly with potatoes and brinjal or cauliflower, comprised the main menu along with dal and chapatis,” he said, adding that it kept the needy people going. “People from nearby villages too used to come and also from tribal forest areas,” he said.</p>.<p>Khaira Babaji initially had 11 people to help out but the group is now as big as 25. “Right from cleaning utensils to chopping vegetables to cooking, they take care of everything,” he said.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/post-covid-inflammatory-syndrome-on-the-rise-among-kids-991886.html" target="_blank">Also Read | Post-Covid inflammatory syndrome on the rise among kids</a></strong></p>.<p>Khaira Babaji’s story is inspiring. He left his house aged 11 to serve people and humanity. “I travelled to many places in India, went to the Middle East, Germany and other European countries…all I did was ‘<em>seva</em>’ with the blessings of Guru,” he said. Initially in Maharashtra, he stayed in Nanded and now in Yavatmal.</p>.<p>"I speak fluent English, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Dutch and German, besides of course, Marathi….I do not have formal education…social media and WhatsApp are difficult for me," Khaira Babaji said.</p>
