Ehsan Fazili/Srinagar

As the second-wave of COVID-19 rages across Jammu and Kashmir, a young Kashmiri entrepreneur Javed Parsa, is all set to revive his work of providing ration and relief to those affected due to restrictions and sickness. 

Despite challenges in his business, Javed Parsa of Bandipora, North Kashmir had taken care of the needy during the lockdown last year. “I am in the process of working out my strategy to help in case the situation ((of COVID surge) gets prolonged,”  Javed Parsa, owner of the J&K’s largest food chain, Parsa's told Awaz-the voice.

Javed Parsa, 32, had given up his job with Amazon to open his food chain in his home. Now he runs The Parsa’s is UT’s largest food chain with 25 outlets across J&K and Ladakh. Parsa won many awards for his enterprise and has since opened more outlets outside his home in Delhi, NOIDA, Pune and Bengaluru.

He said he would seek financial help from donors on the basis of his work in the 2020 lockdown.

Last year when the lockdown to check the spread of viral disease was announced in March, Javed was left with no business. Besides he was left with taking care of his 200 employees most of whom were from outside the Valley. “I didn’t suddenly want to lay them off and send them to their homes,” he said. “For the first ten days, my priority was my workforce.” 

Parsa in front of a hoarding of his food chain in Srinagar

In the process, Javed Parsa realized there were more people like his employees who were stranded with no means. “There were locals who had lost livelihoods, students from outside Kashmir, vendors, migrant labourers.” So, after his workers, these categories of people became his priority.

He focused on persons who needed food and shelter.    

“I chose students from outside the valley including those from Ladakh, as the people from that area are close to my heart. They were stranded with no means,” he said. Parsa got in touch with such persons through his personal contacts and through various outlets of his eatery.

“I did it all in my personal capacity till I exhausted my financial resources,” Javed said. To make himself more useful, he volunteered his services to a local NGO Social Reforming Organization. 

Like most young businesses, Javed also suffered huge losses due to the lockdown, which in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, was a double whammy as it followed a long lockdown to prevent possible violence after Article 370 was revoked.

His savings were over and yet he wanted to continue helping others. “I devoted my time and through my contacts and outlets volunteered to help the needy.” He would use his personal vehicle for all the voluntary work for the NGO.

He arranged food, ration and transportation of patients to hospitals and to their homes, “We also provided oxygen for the needy COVID patients in various hospitals.” he said.