Coming to terms with the untimely demise of her husband -ace mentor, motivational giant and writer Kamaljeet Singh Ahluwalia, his wife -an ace gardener, influencer and a pleasing personality in her own right -Harpreet Kaur Ahluwalia desires to continue the exemplary work of her illustrious husband. World Sikh News will continue to provide its platform to narrate her stories and many of the unpublished works of Kamaljeet Singh Ahluwalia. Her outpouring here is the heartfelt rendition of her thoughts based on her experience while dealing with the treatment of her late husband prior to his succumbing to Covid19. She raises the much-talked narrative and answers it too: Can care of the community at large, be a compromise for the care of members of the faith, family and self?

SIKHISM ENCOURAGES EACH ONE OF US to make the most of the opportunity given to every human being to attain reunion with God through –truthful conduct, humility, meditation and prayer and by serving the needs of the community -Sewa while living within a family.

Guru Nanak established a reformist movement based on equality and social justice for all. The tenets of Sikhism—of service before self, compassion, and inclusion are essential components of the teachings of Guru Nanak.

Sikh theology teaches that all people are equal irrespective of caste, colour, gender and creed. Humility is the core of Sikh living. It expands the concept of equality wherein the Sikhs exemplify this concept through langar. So Sewa for Sikhs is selfless service without any rewards or personal gain.

Sikhism says that sewa is an act of service towards Waheguru. It makes them live a life of Gurmukh with virtues of truth and truthful living, contentment, love, wisdom, courage, compassion, patience, humility and self-control.

Sikhism advocates shifting the focus from self (manmukh) to the needs of others first and thereby keeping the five vices of anger, pride, lust, greed, and attachments to material things at bay. Guru Granth Sahib says “through selfless service eternal peace is obtained”. 

Sikhs have throughout lived this ideology. They make up a small percentage of the global population but have served at the forefront of humanitarian crises from hurricanes to tsunamis, terrorist attacks, and now the Covid pandemics.

Today a Gurudwara, Nishan Sahib, and a Sardar have become symbols of support of all kinds -selfless love, and sewa to mankind.

Today a Gurudwara, Nishan Sahib, and a Sardar have become symbols of support of all kinds -selfless love, and sewa to mankind. If we look back in the recent past, we will find Sikhs helping the Rohingya, Syrian and Iraqi refugees with food and shelter, giving support in floods of Kerala, Jammu, and Kashmir, Orissa and Uttarakhand, wildfires in California, and many more. Since March 2020 when the pandemic was declared in India, funded by mostly Sikh philanthropists they have been mobilizing a global response during this crisis.

The Hemkunt Foundation supplied oxygen cylinders, Sikh Aid provided global humanitarian disaster relief services and rehabilitation, United Sikhs provided cremation and oxygen supplies, carried out sanitation work in Jama Masjid before Eid celebrations. Khalsa Aid helped in the relief effort and provided free oxygen concentrators, Ekam Sikhs supported people with groceries and langar, Voice of Voiceless set up temporary hospitals and many more Gurdwaras, institutions and individuals who have preferred to do anonymous service in their domains. 

The DSGMC along with the Delhi government set up a 400-oxygen-bed Covid facility at the centrally located Rakab Ganj Gurudwara Sahib in Delhi, adjacent to the Indian Parliament. It also organized langar on wheels. Beds and rooms were made available in Delhi Guru Arjan Dev Sarai and Gurudwara Bala Sahib for Covid affected people. When the national capital was gasping for air, Gurudwara Damdama Sahib stepped up to provide oxygen langar. Bangla Sahib Gurudwara has always been providing langar for free to all.

The Sikh community keeps doing what it does right – serve the people selflessly.

The Sikh community keeps doing what it does right – serve the people selflessly. Even during the pandemic while many of us are staying safe at home, others are struggling to get access to necessities. The Sikh community stepped in to help people in dire need. They risked their safety along with doctors and health workers to help people across the world.

There is an old saying “Charity begins at home”. I would reword it as “Service begins from home.” Facing the devastation caused by this pandemic and given the overwhelming Sikh response to it, combined with the fact that many Sikhs -rich and poor, in urban and rural areas, were struggling for support, a question that rankles in many a Sikh mind is, “Can we do something for the Sikh community? Can we take care of our community? Is there any hospital organization which will open their doors to Sikhs in need? 

There is an old saying “Charity begins at home”. I would reword it as “Service begins from home.”

Sikhism supports the right of free belief, the pursuit of knowledge, and free inquiry. It does not advocate blind following of faith. Guru Nanak Sahib clearly says in Guru Granth Sahib:  

ਅਕਲੀ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸੇਵੀਐ ਅਕਲੀ ਪਾਈਐ ਮਾਨੁ॥
ਅਕਲੀ ਪੜ੍ਹਿ ਕੈ ਬੁਝੀਐ ਅਕਲੀ ਕੀਚੈ ਦਾਨੁ॥
We should understand commands of the Master and obey; we should act with discernment, understanding to receive the honour in the Divine court.
Guru Granth Sahib Page 1245

We should use intellect to read and understand and appropriately make charity -impart unto others.

In today’s scenario is self-love my need or want? Oneness and love are the two building blocks of Sikh living. Here the love is not for just loving others but also for loving the self too. 

Without undermining the Sewa unto others or diluting the concept of Sarbat da Bhala, the Sikh community needs to start doing self-care in terms of the mental, emotional, physical, and financial well-being of its members.

Without undermining the Sewa unto others or diluting the concept of Sarbat da Bhala, the Sikh community needs to start doing self-care in terms of the mental, emotional, physical, and financial well-being of its members. We need to make our people strong by giving them higher education, entrepreneurship, skill training, and good healthcare facilities. Today along with Langar, we need to set up schools, colleges, training centres, and hospitals that support the community.

 “ਚੰਗਯਾਯੀ ਕਦੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਰਦੀ”— Goodness never dies.

 “ਚੰਗਯਾਯੀ ਕਦੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਰਦੀ”— Goodness never dies. This will give us more confidence and the reach of our Sewa will increase many folds because the Sikhs have not learned to keep anything to themselves. They will still selflessly do Sewa but with more power and confidence.

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮ ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ, ਤੇਰੇ ਭਾਣੇ ਸਰਬੑਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ॥
“God’s glory ever increases; in His Will, Nanak prays for the good of everyone.”

Harpreet Kaur Ahluwalia, the wife of late Kamal Jit Singh Ahluwalia, is a corporate coach and mentor, a major in econom­ics, a public speaker on corporate affairs and an expert advisor in Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Relationship Management and Adolescence challenges.