16/07/2020 - Culture

KEY POINTS

·         The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented life and livelihood challenges in almost every corner of the world. To mitigate the crisis, governments all over the world have come out with economic packages to provide interim relief to their citizens.

·         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.

·         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.

·         In the Sikh religion, the notion of “seva” (service) is particularly manifest in Guru ka Langar. The langar is a key institution that puts into operation the act of seva – with the gurdwara forming the backbone on which such seva becomes operative. Seva is one of the main principles of Sikhism.

·         Ever since Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century, the principles of this relatively new religion have emphasised selfless service to God as well as humanity. The practice of a free community kitchen serving food to everyone without any discrimination was established by Guru Nanak and since then, the tradition has become well-known all over the globe.

·         The sharing of meals by people sitting together on the floor irrespective of their social background was a one-of-its-kind taboo-breaking practice. Selfless service is seen as a ladder to get closer to God. The offering in cash and kind can be thought of as a redistribution which allows a progressive transfer of resources to make society more equitable.

·         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 COVID-19 lockdown has affected millions of people and left them without any income, any place to stay and most importantly, anything to eat. 

In this challenging situations, the role of civil society, NGOs and religious instititions- "to mitigate the sufferings", has become a fine example of what we can call a "Moral Economy" - an economy that is based on the  moral principle of goodness, fairness, and justice.

One such an exemplary institution of the moral economy is the practice of "Guru Ka Langar" in gurdwaras all over the globe.

- Guru ka langar- a "free community kitchen", is the practice of serving food to everyone without any discrimination, was established by 'Guru Nanak' in the 15th century and since then, the tradition has become well-known all over the globe.

- The notion of “seva” (service) is particularly manifest in it. It is the practice based on the principle of inclusion and unity in the religious sphere that helps everyone and anyone in times of hunger.

- The dimensions and spectacle of this large-scale consumption, best described in terms of a "gift economy- an opposite of exchange economy", have emphasised selfless service to God as well as humanity.

               In a tough time like present humanitarian crisis that is exacerbated by hunger and starvation, 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.

This is what we have seen, since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, in Delhi, Pune, Newyork  that "Guru ka langar" help the COVID-19-affected without any discrimination.

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