Sikhs all over the world are playing a pertinent role in helping people in distress in this time of global emergency. They have set up isolation wards in gurudwaras and are providing healthy and nutritious food to quarantined people free of cost.

UK’s Sikh Vaisakhi festivals stands cancelled

Earlier this month, the Sikh community decided to cancel all the festivities associated with Vaisakhi in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

Vaisakhi commemorates the creation of the Khalsa, a collective body of initiated Sikhs. Thus, this festival holds a lot of meaning for them. Despite this fact, they have decided to replace all the celebrations with free food delivery with a focus on community service to help the vulnerable during the lockdown.

Prince Charles, the 71-year-old heir to the British throne, said he can only imagine the “great sadness” as the event cannot be celebrated in the usual way. He was all-praise while talking about British Sikhs in a Vaisakhi message.

In the message issued by his Clarence House office, he notes: “In the United Kingdom, as elsewhere, Sikhs are playing a vital role on the frontline of this crisis, whether in hospitals or other key roles, or through the remarkable work that is being done by gurdwaras to support local communities and the most vulnerable. In all this, it seems to me, Sikhs so marvellously embody the values on which Guru Nanak founded your religion, over five centuries ago: hard work, respect and selfless service to those less fortunate than yourselves.”

Free food delivery in Berkshire

Sikhs are delivering free food to the elderly in self-isolation in Berkshire, England.

Started by the Sikh community of the town, the service will provide “healthy and nutritious” food essentials to people above the age of 65, and quarantined.

Their humble efforts show that there is hope for humanity even in such testing times. They garnered a lot of support from people on Twitter and other social networking sites.

Sikhs set up isolation wards in Delhi

Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee sets up isolation wards and quarantine facilities in Delhi.

Delhi Sikhs have offered the ‘Serai’ (inn) at Gurudwara Majnu ka Tilla to provide quarantine facilities to poor people affected by the outbreak of respiratory illness COVID-19. Food will also be provided free of cost.

Kind efforts of The Sikh Centre of New York

The Sikh Centre of New York prepared and packaged more than 30,000 home-cooked meals for Americans in coronavirus self-isolation.

The Sikh community was approached by New York’s Mayor office for food packages that were handed out to several distributing federal agencies in the area.


Read more: Breakfast Babble: It’s Inspiring To See My Apartment Step Up To Help Domestic Staff During COVID-19 Lockdown


Helping stranded students and donating generously

Jathedar Harpreet Singh, Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the spiritual leader of the Sikh community told ANI that he appeals to the Sikh community and there is a need to spring into action as the pandemic crisis deepened in the world in the past few weeks.

“We have requested gurudwaras across the country and the world to especially reach out to the stranded Indian students and provide them meals and shelter, which will give relief to many worried parents back in India,” Jathedar Harpreet Singh said.

United Sikhs, an NGO based across the United States, also made an appeal to people to donate generously irrespective of their nationality, class, sex or occupation.

This ‘sewa’ (means selfless service) provided by the Sikh community deserve a lot of applause and respect. They are community heroes that are providing relief in this difficult time.

One who performs selfless service, without thought of reward, shall attain his Lord and Master.

-Guru Granth Sahib 286

Such benevolent and charitable acts definitely restore our faith and belief in a common humanity that strives to live together harmoniously.


Image credits: Google images

Sources: Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, News 18 and BBC news

Find the blogger: @lisa_tay_ari

This post is tagged under: sikhs work, sikh coronavirus relief work, sikh organisations, covid-19 work, prince charles, lockdown, charity, charitable work, community, helping, free food distribution, contribution


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