Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Sivasagar (Assam) proved it true.
After Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi, Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Sivasagar (Assam) has recently proved true the Sikh resolve of holding the hand of the refugees and selfless service to humanity. The humanitarian relief provided by Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to the youth and their parents who were attacked by police lathicharge and tear gas during the 'Sansad Bhawan Chalo' march of the Kakroch Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar has been a topic of discussion and praise in the international media as well as on social media.
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj are under the management of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC). The committee is considered to be pro-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But this committee not only provided shelter to the troubled youth but also did not allow them to face a shortage of langar and water. The organisers and staff of the two gurdwaras said that the gurdwaras are bound to adhere to the principle of 'na ko bari nahi bigana'. Every person who enters them is a 'Guru's man'.
The example of the Gurudwara at Sivasagar (Assam) is even more unique. There are only about 50 Sikh families in the city, but the gurdwara building is scattered. Around 200 families have taken shelter there for the last 10 days. Seven districts of Upper Assam have been reeling under heavy floods for the last 15 days. The Brahmaputra has wreaked havoc in the region after many years. When the villages near the gurdwara were submerged in water due to the floods, the sangat opened the gates of the gurdwara to provide shelter to the flood victims. At the same time, an organisation called 'Global Sikhs' was alerted to the situation. The gurdwara itself arranged langar for around 2,000 people for the first two days. Then volunteers of Global Sikhs also arrived on tractors and trolleys with all kinds of relief materials.
Impressed by the spirit of service shown by the Sikh community, the Marwari community of Sivasagar and other wealthy traders and businessmen also started delivering supplies and other relief materials to the gurdwara. The gurdwara management fears that even if the flood waters recede, diseases, especially stomach diseases, may spread widely in the entire area. He urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to make it possible for the deployment of two government doctors at the gurdwara. The arrangements for medicines and vaccines will be made by the Gurdwara Committee itself. He is confident that if the state government accepts their demand, the gurdwara committee will be able to save at least a dozen villages in the vicinity from epidemics.
The number of elements defaming the Sikh community is quite high on social media platforms. But when the community first ensures relief for the victims in the face of natural disasters or human prejudice, the number of its admirers and those who appreciate the spirit of service within it automatically jumps in. A man who drowned shoulder-deep in water during the recent floods in Gujarat was heard saying that some people who took shelter on the roof of a nearby house were heard saying that if the video went viral, Sikh volunteers would reach the area with relief materials before the government.
Such an image is more valuable than a great treasure. The collective efforts of the entire community should be directed towards strengthening such image. The number of people calling every Sikh a 'Khalistani' is not small in the bureaucracy nor among politicians and their followers. Regardless of such cynics and critics, the Sikh spirit of selfless service should remain alive at all costs.
