As usual, Baba did not want people to know of his presence or to recognize him. He emphatically repeated that his identity must be kept a secret and not disclosed. This was difficult in Calcutta, where Deshmukh had delivered speeches in 1941, and Baba's photographs had been printed widely in many newspapers. Another condition Baba laid down was that the feeding should be done in a separate house from the one where he would stay, to further avoid recognition. To arrange all this, Baba sent Chanji and Babadas to Calcutta on 4 October. Eruch was instructed to leave Poona on the 6th and join them in Calcutta.
This was, in a sense, not a "feeding of the poor." Baba wanted to contact those lower-middle-class people who could not beg, but who had been rendered helpless by circumstances and were now destitute. According to the plan, Eruch, Kaka, Baidul and Babadas were to find and bring about 50 middle-class persons each day, and also arrange for the utensils and food required.
Chanji did his best to rent a bungalow in a quiet locality, but he could not find one that was available for such a short-term rental of only one month. No place was found for cooking and serving the food, either.
With much difficulty, Eruch was successful in contacting Dr. Rai Chowria, the chief organizer of the Puddo Pukkar Relief Center, a charitable food-distributing institution, whom he told, "A generous Parsi philanthropist from Bombay is desirous of feeding the poor. If you put some suitable place at our disposal, we would be greatly obliged."
Dr. Chowria agreed to make a school premises available for the purpose. But before he committed himself, Chanji presented before him the following four written conditions:
1) None of the members of your organization should meet the Parsi benefactor, except Mr. Chowria, who can share in the work. The Parsi gentleman would like silence while serving the food. [This was specially included so that Chowria would not be inquisitive about Baba.]
2) No one should observe the generous Parsi and his companions, even from a distance, at the time of serving the food.
3) A room must be arranged for the generous Parsi where he may sit alone to distribute dhotis and saris to the men and women.
4) Your establishment should make complete arrangements (such as providing a cook, utensils, grains, servants, et cetera) for which all expenses will be paid. Also, the institution should select middle-class persons who need help, and issue invitations to them in the name of the generous Parsi, whose guests they will all be.