Humanity in a plate: How the Sikh community feeds Dimapur’s poor

Eastern Mirror Desk

Dimapur, Dec. 17: It is that time of the year again when the town is abuzz with people, thronging shops and restaurants with their loved ones for merrymaking and buying presents.

But for many, this season can also be a time for hardships. For the many homeless people roaming the streets of Dimapur, buying gifts could be the last thing on their mind. For them, a single plate of food could represent their daily need.

And for the Sikh community in Dimapur, whose population in the entire state of Nagaland is said to constitute 75 families approximately, they have been feeding the hungry every single night (well, almost). All through the year. Regardless of seasons.

At the centre of Sikh teaching about equality is the langar (kitchen). Every gurdwara has a langar where all people are welcome to a free meal regardless of their sex, colour or religion. There are no rituals observed in the langar and everyone eats together. All the food is vegetarian so that no religious group is offended.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the former president of gurdwara committee and a businessman, Harjinder PS Ahluwalia said his community tries its best to let people sleep without an empty stomach.

“We serve 200-250 people every night and most people that come to eat at the langar are people that are not accepted by the society,” he said, making it clear that the community’s motive was to feed these sections of society regardless of their different beliefs.

Ahluwalia explained that when the langar opens every evening (except Saturdays), people from different walks of life sit together in a line and eat together the vegetarian meal that has been prepared, implying the teaching of Sikhism that everyone is equal.

“When I started langar in Dimapur, it was every Sunday where free meals would be given but after a few years, another person, Saurav Arora with the coordination of Punjabi Youth Forum took over and now it is SIX days a week except Saturday,” Ahluwalia informed.

Many might wonder how a small community could provide food for the needy almost every day for so many years. When asked, Ahluwalia informed that ‘not a single penny is used’ from the gurdwara and all the funds for the langar come from well-wishers.

“Just the other day, a person went to the ATM across the gurdwara and donated a cash of INR 20,000 for this cause,” he said. He then confirmed that the gurdwara has enough “ration” for a whole year too and not a single day was disrupted due to lack of funds.

Ahluwalia said that the hungry come with hope of filling their stomach for the night or take some back home for their children and families—which they get, with no questions asked, from the community.

The benevolence does not stop at the free meals. The community, apart from distributing blankets to the homeless during winter, has set up a filtered drinking water source since 1951 where hundreds throng with cans and bottles to fill every day, with a water-cooler also provided during summer months.

At a time when issues concerning caste, creed or religion—or even tribe and village— are causing disturbing patterns across societies, the Sikhs continue to not just pave, but also light, the way to that place in all of us where humanity resides.