Highlights Of #DilSeSewa Telethon: An Initiative To Provide Oxygen And Hospital Support To COVID-19 Patients

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I am personally very deeply impressed by the Sikh religion. I think it is youngest of the major religions globally. Clearly what Sikhism teach us that there is only one God. That's the most powerful message which one can pick up - Ek Onkar. I would say the other thing, the golden rules which Sikhism teaches - to meditate, to connect with god, to earn an honest living and to share your earnings for charity are very important for life. The Sikhs are always the first one to come forward. This is something which is imbibed in their DNA. Without any discrimination, they serve with love and care.

This is a very challenging time. Usually, when there is a calamity, people can jump in and they work. Now on one side, this is the time that people see so much of pain and suffering all around and they are coming out to help others. On the other hand, there are those who are not doing any service activity. They are getting into a sort of deep depression because they remain in their own small cluster and in their own well. You are staying in your own well, and then you keep sulking even more, becoming more miserable. But this is the time to wake up the valor in you and come to others help. Then I think that you can get over the mental trauma by helping others.

I want to commend the incredible work of voluntary organisations, including British based charities like Khalsa Aid, but also people within the diaspora, and other good minded people who have been sending money out to India, who have been sending oxygen concentrators. It has made us very, very proud because they are practicing what they're preaching that we should be working for the betterment of all, regardless of background or color or creed. The 'sarwat da bhala' principle is ingrained within the Sikh faith. I think it is important that people in media, people in public life get together with civil society. That they don't just leave it to government, they don't just leave it to voluntary organisations. It should be a team effort.

We had put up first ever mobile corona testing clinics and ambulances for Delhi containment zones and for testing at the doorsteps in the villages of Punjab and had also supported the langar sewa together with DSGMC. This year, because of oxygen shortage, about 500 oxygen concentrators, along with Sun foundation, generous support of Mr. Steve Gupta, Chairman, Gupta family foundation from Toronto were donated. And we had donated over 300 concentrators to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj for Guru Teg Bahadur COVID center, which is a very good facility. Also, we had donated to various other gurdwaras like Rajouri Garden, Greater Kailash, Defence Colony, Shiv Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, who all are doing an exemplary service.

Sewa cannot be done without the feelings- the heart. We have a philosphy, that 'logic' is great but at the end it's about heart. Last year, we thought we should help those people who are helping the whole society- doctors and nurses, so we contributed there. My wife is a half Sikh. Selflessness of Sikh is impressive. If I ask my son to polish my shoes or sweep my floor, he will say, 'Dad, what are you saying?' but the same son will do Sewa in Gurdwara. That's how the environment there at gurdwaras. It changes even the most egoistic persons. What is even more impressive is that they offer you food with dignity and grace and they don't see your caste, class, race.

We have actually started with couple of things; with making sure that hunger relief is taken care of and essential medical help like oxygen concentrators are provided. We have tied up with certain government agencies to support some oxygen concentrators provision. We are tying up with gurdwaras and gurdwara sewa programmes where they are making sure that the food and the sewa programme is continued in their houses. In addition to that, we have done three campaigns in Punjab for vaccination. We have tied up with government agencies for oxygen concentrator supplies and we are also doing gurdwara sewa.