Our Heroes
A Culture Of Selflessness
ANANTA SHARMA
The major part of the world is burning today, and many of us are enjoying drawing-room chats about how the world is going down.
But, there are also certain guardian angels who never think twice before leaving everything behind and helping the needy, who never just sit back and complain.
Time and again when the disasters plagued humanity, Sikhs emerged to offer help.
And the recent beautiful gesture offered by the Maharashtra Sikh Association towards the drought-stricken Latur village in Maharashtra, India, has got us reminiscing of other recent times when the turban-clad beautiful hearts held out the much-needed helping hand to save the humanity.
The following are but 8 examples of times Sikhs went out of their way recently to help people ... strangers, all, in lands around the globe.
1 When Maharashtra Sikh Association offered to adopt the drought-stricken Latur village of Marathwada
The testing days of Maharashtra farmers are known to all, but a bright ray of hope has emerged in the form of Maharashtra Sikh Association. In addition to offering the monetary support to 25 severely hit families in Latur, they have openly stated their desire to adopt the entire village.
The Latur village has been hit by poverty so severe that a few days ago a girl committed suicide because she no longer had money to buy a monthly bus pass.
The spokesperson of the association, Sardar Malkit Singh has even expressed the association’s willingness to support the education of her sister and if she wishes to go abroad to study, that will be taken care of too. :)
2 When Mumbaikars fell prey to yet another monsoon standstill, the turban-clad good men came out to their rescue
Nothing stops the bustling life of Mumbai like the rains. And when the rains brought the local train services to an undesirable halt in June of this year, the misery of the numerous stranded commuters was cushioned, thanks to the joint efforts of the Khalsa Aid organization and Sri Guru Singh Sabha volunteers. They distributed langar to the stranded commuters who otherwise would have stayed hungry for hours.
3 When Khalsa Aid went to the Iraq-Syria border to feed the refugees
This year in September, a team from Khalsa Aid collaborated with several local organizations to provide the Syrian refugees basic daily necessities.
And let me tell you, Iraq-Syria border isn’t the only place they have offered helped. Haiti, Yemen, Lebanon, and Nepal too have been showered upon with their love and care.
4 When two Sikhs let go of the religious protocol and unraveled their turbans to save four lives from drowning
They were struggling to keep their heads afloat in the gushing waters of a canal at Sular Ghat, northern Punjab, India.
On witnessing such a horrifying scene, the braveheart Inderpal Singh knew he didn’t have the time to devise a plan, there were lives involved after all. So in a quick action, he unraveled his dastaar and threw it towards the four drowning boys, one of whom was coincidentally also named Inderpal Singh, and pulled them to safety.
Another Sardar, Kanwaljit Singh, came forward and used his dastaar to support the efforts of Inderpal Singh.
5 When a similar incident took place in New Zealand where a Sikh used his turban to curb the bleeding from the head of a boy who was hit by a car
Harman Singh took off his turban and tucked it under the profusely bleeding head of the boy. Not surprisingly, the saviour received tons of appreciation messages, and not just that: people were so touched by his selfless act that the New Zealand television network ‘One News‘, in response, furnished Harman Singh’s apartment which previously had only a mattress and plastic garden chairs in the living room.
An evidently touched Harman Singh couldn’t hold back his tears.
Well, he totally deserved it. :)
The boy who was hit (Daejon Pahia), his family couldn’t thank the hero enough for saving their kid’s life.
6 When the worst-in-80-years tragedy hit Nepal, Sikh institutions bodies stood tall
They initiated humanitarian efforts to help the thousands who were left starving when the earthquake brought havoc to the their lives.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) announced they would send 25 thousand food packets every day to the grief-stricken nation. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), on the other hand, announced the delivery of 20 thousand food packets every Sunday.
And it weren’t these organizations alone. United Sikh and Khalsa Aid also extended a much-needed helping hand. Khalsa Aid sent volunteers to Nepal and had the relief material air-lifted with the help of certain Kathmandu airlines.
7 When they set a beautiful example before the world by organizing interfaith langar at the Jama Masjid in Ludhiana
Such heart-warming gestures are not only a slap in the face of our hate-inducing politicians but also serve as a sound live example of the otherwise only-preached idea of universal love.
8 When a Sikh was hailed “Australian Of The Day” for feeding the homeless for three years
Tejinder Pal Singh is a driver in Darwin, Australia who was awarded the title in August of 2015. The great Sikh, along with his son Navdeep, regularly conducts a food drive feeding up to 100 of Darwin’s hungry and needy, after finishing his shift as a cabbie. His van carries the message, ‘Free food for hungry and needy people.”
Tejinder has received many offers of monetary support, but he urges more people to start food drives of their own to feed the needy.
* * * * *
They didn’t go out in heavy rains to help the stranded city people in order to make front-page news. They didn’t save the lives thinking media channels will come to their homes to reward them.
They did so because it was the right thing to do.
Something we all should think about.
[Courtesy: Story Pick. Edited for sikhchic.com]
October 31, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, USA), October 31, 2015, 8:24 AM.
Thanks for all the service and selflessnesses by Sikh associations everywhere. Unfortunately the media, specifically in India, do not cover all these. Sikhs should have their own media or work for the mainstream media.
2: Kanwalpreet Kaur (New Delhi, India), October 31, 2015, 10:58 PM.
Respected Veer jio: We don't have to do it for media coverage. We have to do it for the pleasure of our Gurus and because we have been sent to do exactly this.
3: Hardev Singh (Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada), October 31, 2015, 11:41 PM.
For an altruistic act of love or service for the fellow human being, publicity is not necessary. It has a life of its own, where both the receiver and the giver reap benefits. Sikh media is in a developmental state and is already doing a great job, which also include Sikh Channel T.V., U.K. and Sikhchic.com. Thanks to our founder father, Guru Nanak and his 'sach sauda' or 'honest trade' this will always be part of Sikh way of life.