Shah Rukh Khan pledges support to PM-CARES fund and six other organisations to battle coronavirus

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan pledged his support to combat coronavirus through his various group companies. The superstar did not disclose the amount he would be contributing to various relief funds, including the Prime Minister`s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) fund and the Maharashtra Chief Minister`s Relief Fund  but gave a detailed account of how he plans to help daily wage earners in this hour of crisis.

The 54-year-old actor took to Twitter and shared that his companies -- Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX -- are taking several initiatives to support the relief efforts. In a long detailed statement, the actor mentioned that along with his wife Gauri Khan, business partners Jay Mehta and Juhi Chawla, the actor would be contributing to several organisations for relief work.

He tweeted, "In these times its imp to make everyone around u working tirelessly for u.. not related to u.. perhaps even unknown to u... to feel they are not alone and by themselves. Let`s just make sure we all do our little bit to look after each other. India and all Indians are One Family."

The `Raees` actor said that he and his team have discussed ways to contribute and they have come up with a series of initiatives.

He also lauded the efforts of the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal and all other states and Union Territories leaders have been commendable in fighting this pandemic.
Shah Rukh announced that his initial efforts will be focused on the three cities -- Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi with the realisation that this is a start and "we stand ready to contribute in whichever way possible going forward."

"At a time when the human race is facing an immense crisis, there can only be one true response: The expression of Humanity itself. This is a moment for all of us to come together in a collective effort to make each other kinder, stronger and braver to face the days ahead. This crisis is not going to pass in a hurry, it will take its time and its toll on all of us. It will also show us that there isn`t really a choice between looking out for ourselves and looking out for one another.
There`s nothing more obvious in the spread of this pandemic than the fact that each one of us is inextricably connected to each other, without any distinction. So, while we do whatever we can to support each other in our own small ways, the compassion we show to those who are likely to face the most brutal brunt of both, the pandemic and its economic consequences, will define us as a generation and as a Nation," he added.

The `My Name is Khan` actor shared that his donations will be evenly distributed to:

1. PM-CARES Fund: Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL franchise, has committed to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund.

2. Maharashtra Chief Minister`s Relief Fund: Red Chillies Entertainment has planned to contribute to the Maharashtra CM`s Relief Fund

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Healthcare Providers: KKR and Meer Foundation will work with West Bengal and Maharashtra governments and contribute 50,000 PPE kits.

4. Ek Saath - The Earth Foundation: Meer Foundation along with Ek Saath will provide daily food requirements to over 5,500 families for at least a month in Mumbai.

5. Roti Foundation: Meer Foundation in association with Roti Foundation will provide 3 lakh meal kits with 10,000 people per day for at least a month.

6. Working People`s Charter: Meer Foundation in association with them will provide basic essentials and grocery items for at least a month to over 2500 daily wage workers who have been identified across Delhi.

7. Support for acid attack survivors: Meer Foundation to provide a monthly stipend to over 100 acid attack survivors which will take care of their basic needs. The survivors identified are across UP, Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

(With inputs from ANI)