The Sukum residents of the Radhaswamy Satsang Holding Center in Kirtipur were upset on Monday over the lack of coordination in the food arrangements. They were waiting for tea in the morning. But neither tea nor food arrived in the morning.

When the children were ready to go to school after 9 am, their parents were surprised and went to the canteen. The kitchen utensils in the canteen had been moved from there. ‘My grandson, who was ready to go to school after not being able to eat, could not go to school,’ Geeta Lama told Kantipur on Monday afternoon.

Her husband Hitman Tamang was supposed to take his regular medicine after eating breakfast. But since the food did not arrive on time, Hitman could not even take his medicine. ‘I cried a lot seeing everyone from those who needed medicine to the mothers and children who were starving,’ Geeta said.

Griwanika Thapa, who was staying at the holding center, was about to go to the hospital for her daughter's dental check-up after eating. On Sunday evening, the people who were preparing food in the canteen had told her, 'We will not be here from tomorrow.' But Griwanika had no idea that she would not be able to eat. 'After the food did not come, I went to the hospital with my daughter and little son. On the way, when my daughter cried that she was hungry, I could not even feed her anything. I was also feeling hungry,' she said.

The Griwanikas had also gone to the city police station at the holding center to find out when the food would arrive. But she complains that they did not care.

When she returned from the hospital and reached the holding center at 2 pm, Dahi Shanti Sewa Home Clinic and Rehabilitation Center was distributing dahi chiura. ‘I called the minister of the ministry to ask when the food would arrive. He said it would be packed. But the food did not arrive,’ she said.

After the food did not arrive, the Sukum residents protested inside the holding center before 11 am. ‘We protested by banging our plates after the food did not arrive,’ said Pramila Rai, who was sitting in the holding center.

Puri, vegetables and jerry were distributed at the holding center around 4:30 pm. When Manoj Mahato, who had gone to the hospital for his wife’s treatment, returned to the holding center, the dahi chiura was gone. After a while, the Shanti Sewa Grih came to distribute the puri vegetables and jerry. Manoj ate the same lunch that was distributed in the packet. ‘We brought the dahi chiura at 11:30 am. After 3 pm, we brought the puri vegetables. If we had known, we would have brought food, but it was only at 9 o'clock,' an employee of the Shanti Sewa Griha who was distributing lunch told Kantipur.

Madan Vishwakarma, who was carrying his 9-month-old daughter in his arms, was also unhappy with the government's behavior. 'We had no information.' If they knew that food would not be delivered, they would have sent the children to school after feeding them from outside,' he said. His 9-month-old daughter had to be fed with a jowl. 'There is no stove for that. There is still a possibility of packing for two or three more days. What will happen to the child,' he worries.

According to Madan, Shanti Sewa had been feeding them since they were in Thapathali, even when there was a flood. 'But no one eats the food there. If they do, it is with ducks, chickens, and dogs.' It was of very poor quality,' he said. He also worries that he will be forced to eat the same food again. 10-year-old Syalam Bal also complained that he could not go to school because the food did not arrive on time.

While the Sukum residents were expressing their dissatisfaction over not getting food on time, the police officers stationed at the holding center were making insulting comments. 'Sometimes the paan leaves the mouth of the king and sometimes it goes up and down,' the police officer at the center was saying around 4:30 in the afternoon. Instead, the Sukum residents said they were protesting against the food of the institution. While expressing his anger at the journalists for opposing the government, the police officer added, 'How many Sukum residents are there? There are many Hukum residents.' They are the ones who tried to stir things up here.'

Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Chief Bishnu Prasad Joshi said that the delay in serving food was due to a change in management on Monday morning. 'Taking advantage of the delay in the food, some people living there tried to spread false rumors by showing dalmoth and chiura from their own bags and saying that they were given such food,' he said.

According to him, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had arranged food until Baisakh 15. From 16 to Jestha 10, Radha Swami Satsang Vyas Nepal arranged it. From Jestha 11, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City again arranged food by paying from its own canteen. He said that an agreement had been reached that Shanti Sewa Griha would serve it from Monday. 'This organization has come to cooperate in sacred work.' Today, there is a delay due to some technical reasons,' he said. He said that food will be delivered in packets by Tuesday afternoon and will be cooked at the holding center from the evening.