Desi versions of ice-bucket challenge

New Delhi, Sept 1: With the ALS ice-bucket challenge going viral on social networking websites, Indian netizens have come up with their own version, posting videos as they donate rice to those in need.

In line with the mantra of 'charity begins at home', this campaign titled 'Rice Bucket Challenge' is a brain child of Manju Latha Kalanidhi, a Hyderabad-based journalist, who aims to save water and feed the hungry. The challenge involves donating rice to a needy person.

"Cook or buy one bucket of rice or biryani and feed the poor in your locality. If you cannot take this challenge, donate medicines worth Rs 100 to the nearest government," Kalanidhi wrote on her Facebook page. "Within 24 hours of posting this, I managed to begin charity at home...the recipient is Sathibabu, a daily labourer who sells idli dosas," says Kalanidhi.

Since then, the campaign has gained popularity among Indian netizens, who are posting pictures and videos while donating rice to those in need and challenging their friends to do the same. The localised version 'Rice Bucket Challenge. Are you up for the desi challenge?' came up days after the original ALS ice bucket challenge had gone viral, as many users could not get used to the idea of wasting water and encouraging it. Subsequently, this led to the creation of the Indianized version of the challenge.

The biggest mass donation so far, in one of the posts shared by Kalanidhi on her Facebook page, is by 2,000 students of a college who have pledged to donate 2,200 kilograms of rice.

PTI