The joy of giving

The author of Seva, the book that highlights the spirit of giving amongst Sikhs, picks five shining examples

In June 2020, The New York Times carried an article titled ‘How To Feed Crowds in a Protest or a Pandemic? The Sikhs Know’, highlighting the seva of American Sikhs during the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests.

From refugee camps in Iraq to the floods in Kerala to the earthquake in Nepal, people from this 30 million-strong community help absolute strangers in their darkest moments. In India, the community has been distributing free food to millions of people and setting up oxygen langars to save lives during the brutal second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Seva is a 500-year-old Sikh tradition that modern sardars and sardarnis adopt to bring meaningful happiness into their own lives. Five young Sikhs tell us how seva is a part of their lives.

HASMEET SINGH CHANDOK, 31 Nova Scotia, Canada

When Chandok moved to Nova Scotia for higher studies, he was often mistaken as a Muslim. To raise awareness about Sikh culture and also do seva, he produces melodious bhangra videos set against iconic Nova Scotia locations. These videos racked up as many as 50 million views in four days and raised significant sums for Canadian charities. He’s also made a documentary film about his experience, titled Behind the Bhangra Boys, which has won awards at film festivals.

“We chose dance to represent our culture and as a means to do seva because it is positive, happy and attracts attention to our identity and culture,” he says.

SANDEEP SINGH GILL (SARTAJ), 29 Goa, India

Gill is part of the Goa Sikh Youth (GSY) organisation. During the first wave, they fed up to 5,000 people a day.

During the second wave, Gill organised oxygen cylinders to save people’s lives.

Despite not getting permissions, the GSY

Do one kind thing every day for a week and continue if you enjoy the experience. •Make it something you enjoy. Sikhs do seva and then eat langar with the community. •When you’re feeling low, do seva with your hands as opposed to writing a cheque. Working with your hands can be a form of meditation.