As Indian authorities
struggle to contain COVID-19, Delhi's Sikh community has come together to feed
millions of people with food cooked every day at gurdwaras.
There are nearly 21 million
Sikhs in India, making Sikhism the fourth-largest religion in the country. A
pillar of Sikhism is "sewa" or service. Sikh temples, called
"gurdwaras," offer free food to millions of people across the world.
.
Coronavirus restrictions in
place Delhi's gurdwaras were closed to the public at the end of March when
India went into lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Even with no
devotees, gurdwara staff continued daily prayers and provided services to
Delhi's needy. Last month, religious places reopened across India. As the
public returned, preventive measures like temperature checks, hand sanitizers,
and masks were implemented.
.
Sikh community kitchens
According to Sikh philosophy, the faithful should not go home empty-handed. A visit
to the gurdwara offers three things — lessons from Sikh gurus,
"parshad" pastry made from whole-wheat flour, and a meal from the
community kitchen.
Thousands of meals prepared
daily The kitchens open every day at 3a.m. to prepare meals for nearly 100,000
people. Men and women get together to cook dal (lentils), roti (Indian
flatbread) and rice. Funding is provided by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management
Committee (DSGMC) and donations from Sikh devotees.
Over 20 locations served The
food is then loaded onto trucks and pick-up vans to be delivered across Delhi
and neighboring cities like Noida and Ghaziabad. Localities are chosen on the
basis of need, usually after other forms of aid have not been delivered.
Government officials and local NGOs also request thousands of meals.
Food for the needy For
Sikhs, helping someone in need is considered the highest virtue. Even before
the truck pulls in, people stand in long lines and wait for their daily meal.
Many people are in need: young men and women, street children, people with
disabilities, and the elderly. Some families with no source of income,
especially because of COVID-19, also receive rations that could last them week.
A well-organized process Two
separate queues are formed — one for able-bodied men and another for women, the
elderly and those with disabilities. The process of getting food is well
organized, but in a country with over 1.3 billion people, physical distancing
norms are hard to follow.
Long lines in the sun For
many standing in the line, this is the only meal they will eat all day. Some
even carry small packets to bring food for friends and family members who could
not make it to the gurdwara's truck. For them, the langar has reached places
even the government and aid organizations could not.
https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-in-india-sikh-temples-in-delhi-save-millions-from-hunger/g-54156233
Dr.Gurdeep Kaur
Associate Professor
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College
University of Delhi
Dr.Gurdeep Kaur
Associate Professor
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College
University of Delhi
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