An eat-all-you-can invitation that rewards gluttony may seem like a curious way to remember a frail man who used the hunger strike as a political weapon during India’s freedom struggle.
But an Indian vegetarian restaurant in Hong Kong offers just that on October 2 every year, hosting an Open House where patrons are encouraged to “eat as much as you can, pay as much as you wish” as part of a charity fund-raising effort that honours the Mahatma’s memory.
The October 2 event typically raises about HK$40,000-50,000 (Rs 2.4-3 lakh) a year; in recent years, the beneficiaries have included agencies working on education and poverty alleviation projects in India, Bangladesh, China, Afghanistan and Rwanda. This year’s proceeds will go to Friends of the Earth, the international voluntary organisation that works on environmental issues.