Friday, July 17, 2020

Sewa in A pandemic: Guru Ka Langar is An Exemplary Institution of The Moral Economy

   A special feature on "Langar Sewa" done by Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib in Indian Express 14th July 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought unprecedented life and livelihood challenges in almost every corner of the world.
        Langar is one such practice based on the principle of inclusion and unity in the             religious sphere that helps everyone and anyone in times of hunger.

The exceptional role of civil society, NGOs and religious organisations during these challenging times has become a fine example of what we can call a moral economy — relations that are sustained over time following a moral principle. One such institution is the practice of Guru Ka Langar in gurdwaras all over the globe.

In Delhi, since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, one lakh meals have been cooked every day at the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib alone, with the sevadars working 18-hour shifts. This helped in feeding the migrant workers who were rendered jobless in the early days of the lockdown. Recently, the gurdwara has also started an initiative called “Meals on Wheels Langar” to take food to the remote corners of the city. As a gesture of appreciation of the gurdwara’s role during the crisis, the Delhi Police performed a parikrama of Bangla Sahib.

A recent New York Times article has highlighted the American experience of langar, highlighting both how Sikhs ran kitchens to help the COVID-19-affected as well as how they have fed the protesters of the Black Lives Matter movement. The article notes that people often get surprised when they are offered food for free. Indeed, the dimensions and spectacle of this large-scale consumption, which is outside the exchange economy, have surprised many people even when one is not in the midst of extraordinary events.

One example among many is the TV show, John Torode’s Asia, where we see the host being visibly moved by the langar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This emotion endorses the understanding that this Sikh practice is something exceptional.

The challenges posed by the pandemic have exposed many fault lines in our society. The negligence of healthcare and lack of adequate social safety nets have made millions of people vulnerable. In such times, the institution of langar, based on the Guru’s philosophy of equality and progressiveness, provides a glimmer of hope that strong institutions whether they are created in the societal, economic, or religious sphere can stand any storm. 

Langar is one such practice based on the principle of inclusion and unity in the religious sphere that helps everyone and anyone in times of hunger. The choice is for mankind whether it creates institutions that divide and carve out exclusionary spaces or builds strong and protean institutions, like the practice of langar, that bring the human race together in trying times without any discrimination.


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