Sikligar Sikhs

There are a number of so-called low caste persons who had remained associated with Sikh religion in some or the other way. However, it has been unfortunate that those people were never paid due attention by our main organisations and Sikh leaders as a result of which all these people were estranged and became detached from the main stream of Sikhs. These people include Sikligars, Lubanas and such like other tribal groups. The Sikligars being the most prominent of these tribes have their association with Sikh religion right from the period of Guru Hargobind Ji. They were mainly Iron Smiths who used to manufacture thing made of iron including weapons. Guru Hargobind Sahib had entrusted this task of manufacturing weapons like spears, swords, shield and arrows. Later on they even learnt to make matchlocks, muskets, cannon and guns. They were high in demand during the period of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and it is believed that the name Sikligar was given by the tenth Guru to them meaning thereby that they were the polishers of swords. The word Sikligar is derived from Persian saqal literally meaning polishing, furnishing and making bright. So those people who were manufacturing, polishing and making the weapon bright were called by the tenth Guru as Sikligars. Presently, when the modern weapons and technology have come up, their position has weakened and now they mainly roam about in small groups carrying their meagre possessions on specially designed carts (gaddi, in north Indian dialects) and making and selling small articles like knives, sickles, betel-nut cutters, sieves, locks, buckets and toys which they manufacture from waste-metal. The influence of Sikhism is still clearly discernible in the dress and social customs of some of the Sikligars. The males, especially those of the older generation, wear their hair long. Their women-folk wear salvar (loose trousers) and kamiz (shirt) like Punjabi women or Lahinga (skirt) and choli (bodice) like a Rajasthani women, but the use of dhoti and saree is rare. The newly born child is on the fourth day administered amrit by five Sikhs; relatives and friends assemble in Sangat where Karah Prasad is distributed. A special share of Karah Prasad is sent to any member who keeps the Guru Granth Sahib or any breviary of Gurbani at home. Sikligar Sikhs of Central and South India have great faith in Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib at Nanded, which they visit regularly. On the annual Takhat Ishnan (lit. bath ceremony) at the Takht Sahib, it is the special privilege of Sikligars Sikhs to clean and oil the end weapons preserved there as sacred relics.

(The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Vol. IV, p. 200)

The beginning of efforts to help Sikligars

Like Sikligars, the other tribes including vanjaras and lubanas have also been left behind the main stream of Sikhs and they are living in abject poverty. They feel isolated as they are unable to understand as what is their religion, language and culture. They admit that they have an affinity with Sikhism and love for Sikh way of living and Gurdwaras, but they don’t find the warmth among the Sikhs to take them into their fold and are really in a fix. They have many problems as in many states they have not been even given rights of tribals or other backward categories, nor or they treated as Sikhs to avail of the benefits for the minority. Where they ever live, it is Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh or Maharashtra or Bihar, they visit the Gurdwaras but fail to get a brotherly attachment from the Sikhs. Some NGOs or small organisations working in different parts of the country have now started paying attention towards them so that they may be uplifted and be recognised as respectable citizens belonging to Sikh religion. SGPC has also been taking care of Sikligar families from MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and also help their children in getting education. Last year, Rs 25 lakh was spared to pay school fee of these children. Dharam Parchar Committee secretary Balwinder Singh Joda said SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal had visited these families in Bhopal. He added that there was a plan to open a school at Gurdwara Guru Nanak Tekri by the SGPC. The SGPC has opened knitting centres for the women to make them self-reliant, said SGPC secretary Diljit Singh Bedi. The recent act of SGPC to arrange a religious tour of two hundred Sikligar families from these areas, is highly appreciable. Those who started sincere efforts in this direction included Dr. Santokh Singh of Bhopal who is patron of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha. He found that some of these families whom he called Hazuri Singh were living near Galla Mandi, Bhopal on Pul Bogda Road. He started giving spiritual education to their children at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha T.T. Nagar, Bhopal. Some Gurmat training camps were also organised. The help of ‘Trust for Vanjaras Regd.’ and other weaker sections, Chandigarh was particularly taken to plan a systematic way of educating these people and raising their economic and social status. In 2003 a project called ‘Hazuri Singh Welfare Project’, Bhopal was inaugurated for achieving the desired goals. It was also planned that a Gurdwara be constructed in the residential area of Sikligars so that those people may come, listen to Gurbani and spiritual discourses. The teaching of Gurmukhi and academic studies were also started. Their ladies were associated with Istri Sabhas for better communication with them. It was also planned to train them in the sphere of tailoring for starting their own small scale business. Considerable funds were received from S. Nirvair Singh, Canada and S. Narinder Singh and Davinder Singh from USA. The Organisations working to bring the people of these communities in the main stream There are several organisations presently working for the welfare for these poor communities with a view to bring them in the main stream of the Sikhs. We shall be mentioning some of these important organisations in the following paragraph.

Guru Nanak International Education Trust and Welfare Council

Guru Nanak International Education Trust and Welfare Council is a public charitable trust Regd. in U.K. vide Registeration No. 1092295, for helping the children belonging to poor and destitute families for getting education and skill development to enable them to stand on their feet. The school named Bhai Baaz Singh Public School in U.K. is being run by this organisation as a part of their mission. However, they are fully conscious that poor neglected people among the Sikhs are Vanjaras, Lubanas, Sikligars, Satnamis and Kabirpanthi etc., and those people are mainly concentrated in India. So, they concentrate on various parts of India where these people live in miserable conditions. They setup an Indian chapter which is working here with the help of organisations doing similar work. The school in U.K. has been planned as to be a beacon to provide technical know-how to other NGOs’ for establishing similar schools in India for the target people. When S. Ranjit Singh (Global President) visited India, he along with S. J.S. Ahluwalia, Retd. Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (India Chapter Head, Contact No. 9216644070) visited certain schools meant for poor children and found that those schools were in miserable condition. They identified a Jhugi Jhopri Colony where 250 Sikligars who were below poverty line and were living in most unhygienic conditions. They decided to help them to provide education for their children by upgrading the infrastructure of Government Elementary School Ajowal in Hoshiarpur District. They also provided desks with benches. Improved water supply in the schools installed submersible pump in Gurdwara in the premises of colony, repaired seesaw and swings, provided sweaters and uniforms, diaries and clothes for the pre primary children who were sent to school. In the current financial year they are going to construct three rooms, provide uniforms and further improve the infrastructure. They also have similar other projects in hand. The organisation is being run by a Board of Trustees and management committee led by S. Ranjitt Singh OBE as the Global President. The contact details of the organisation is 10, R.K. House, Loughton Business Centre, Langston Rd., Loughton, Essex IG10 3FL, Phone : 02085325959, Email : ranjit@rkgrouplondon.com.

Some other organizations which have helped the Sikligars to bring them out of the miserable position, in which they have been living, include Sri Guru Angad Dev Sewa Society of Ludhiana and Mani Singh Sewa Society of Alwar. The Ludhiana organization has opened a school for their education at Ludhiana and the education is being imparted to them free of charge. The organization has also prepared a book and a CD to highlight their miserable position as to attract the attention of the people to solicit their help. The Alwar Society is also providing education to the poor and backward section of this segment of Sikhs. At present around 200 children are being provided this education. The main person of this society is Tarif Singh (M. 8560852126). He informed that the children are being taught in AVM Public School, Alwar and Sahaita School for Girls (where 70 girls are being given education). He added that S. Ravinder Singh of Germany and S. Ranbir Singh of Midland Langar Sewa Society are helping them in this project. S. Ravinder Singh takes classes also online and provides guidelines for their education on modern lines. There is one organization Sahaita Punjab at Ludhiana led by Dr. Rajinder Singh (8828700000) which is helping this project by paying the salaries of teachers.

Sewak Welfare Society

Sewak Welfare Society was founded by S. Jaswinder Singh & S. Gurpreet Singh in 2008 in Delhi. They had made up their mind to work for the welfare of Sikligar Sikhs who are living in inhuman and unhygienic condition at Dadri. First of all they adopted 27 children and admitted them to a nearby school by making payment for books, uniforms and stationery etc. Healthcare was provided to them with help from Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Surya Nagar. All these expenses were borne with dash wandh of members. Approximately Rs.2500/-per child was incurred. Even as school education was going on they went to their dera and taught their children basic principles of Sikhism. Literature was distributed among them and audio and video cd’s were also given to them for enhancing their level of knowledge.

Pracharaks were regularly taken with them so that greater impression is cast on these Sikligars and they discover their Sikh roots quickly. From time to time, oral tests were conducted among children and those giving correct answers were given encouragement besides cash and other prizes. After Dadri, children at Chirori [Loni] were also adopted for education and the Dadri pattern was replicated. This went on for about 2 years. All the work was now supported by Jagdish Singh Bhatia, President Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Surya Nagar [Ghaziabad] who inspired his other members to support this noble cause wholeheartedly and spread the message amongst the sangat appreciably. The contact details of the organization are – Address is A89 2ND FLOOR YOJNA VIHAR DELHI110092 and contact number is 9350536219

Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council

When, in the year 1984, genocide against the Sikhs had taken place in Delhi and other parts of the country, some Sikhs thought of helping the affected persons, the helpless widows, orphans and destitute. They started their efforts from the worst affected area of Mangolpuri and Sultanpuri in Delhi with the aid from relief funds of Indian Express and Ajeet Jalandhar. This group of dedicated workers gave birth to an organisation called Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council. They helped the victims in all respects by providing them relief and rehabilitation by making their houses starting their earning sources, getting admission for their children into schools and enabling them to get the financial help from which ever source they could procure them. When the widows affected by this genocide were allotted houses in Tilak Vihar, a small Dispensary was started in a rented room, which later developed into a full-fledged Polyclinic-cum-Diagnostic Centre Equipped with 500mA-X-Ray machine and Auto Analyser with Modern Dental Unit. Recently two operation theatreshave been added.
As the time passed, this organisation strengthened itself both in resources and activities. In 1998, they started Nishkam Scholarship – Talent Search and Sport Programme for helping the needy and talented students, irrespective of their cast and religion. This programme was started with the cooperation of relief committee of Greater New York, USA. In the year 2002 Sikh Human Development Foundation, USA (SHDF) extended the helping hand by providing Scholarship for the technical education. Since then scholarship have been provided to thousands of students. The organisation has also been doing a wonderful job in the sphere of medical aid to the poor and the needy patient. Till date they have helped 50 major medical cases which included the case of baby Sukhmani suffering from cranio-facial disorder for which more than 20 lakh rupees have been mobilize and spent. They have also started an old age home and orphanage under the name of Mata Gujari Sukh Niwas at Kharar, which is functioning for the last 20 years under the management of a committee constituted from the Nishkam Sewadars of Chandigarh and Kharar. The Nishkam Sewadars of the organisation include the workers who are comprised of medical practioners, educationists, IT professionals, Chartered Accountants, self employed professionals, businessman and even serving and retired bureaucrats. This esteemed organisation has also done commendable work as a part of disaster management. Weather it was an earthquake in Uttarkashi in October 1991 or an earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, they extended the help to the affected people. Similarly, in 2005 they extended help and cooperation to the people affected by Tsunami. They constructed 47 houses and one community centre under the banner of Guru Nanak Sarbat Sikh Sangat.
The service rendered by the Nishkam Sewadars in the field of Sikh religion are also laudable. Their prestigious project in this regard relates to the Social rehabilitation and Educational upliftment for those sikligar families living in unhygienic and miserable position in jhugis with likeminded volunteers from Bangalore. In 2001, they started the construction and completed 23 houses in record time, It is pertinent to note that with the infusion of spirit of Chardikala these hard working honest people have started making repayment, 23 beneficiaries have started repaying the @ Rs. 125 per week. Next phase of construction of 109 more houses is in hand, through government agencies. For thus, Nishkam has made advance payment. In the family, where nobody was even 5th pass, now the children are preparing for 11th class onward. Approximately 350 are being provided proper education. In 2005, we started construction of 33 houses for Sikligar families, living in jhuggis at Udaipur (Rajasthan). They are being helped by the Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society for day-to-day management o the Karnataka Project and All India Sikh Welfare Society for taking care of the construction work at Udaipur.

Nishkam Sikh Welfare Organisation, Canada

Nishkam, Canada was formed by a group of individuals for the purpose of charity for weaker sections of the community. As their focus is on Sikligars, they have tied with certain NGOs in India for execution for their projects and plans. The people working with Nishkam Canada do not get any salary, rather, spend some amount from their pockets on the planned projects. Whatever donations are received the same are also spent on such projects. Their objectives are:

Assist impoverished communities and families in moving out from temporary shelters into proper housing facilities.
Provide educational scholarships for the impoverished but deserving students in India.
Support inmates of old age homes and orphanages in India by providing basic amenities.
Support, develop, design programs to motivate and retrain teachers, enhance and improve the learning experience in the classroom and add new facilities in the existing schools e.g., provide drinking water, blackboards and toilets where required.

The organisation came into existence in March 2005 as registered Canadian Charity
(BN863589651RR0001), with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA). The main two charitable
projects of this organisation are targeted at the Sikligar Sikh community of Karnataka. These Sikligars along
with Vanjaras and Lubanas have been residing in abysmal condition in huts and shanty town of Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. They were converted to Sikhism at the time of Sikh
Gurus when some specific duties like making weapons were given to them. They are very hard working and
industrious, but have no opportunity to come out of poverty. Many of them are not even aware of the fact
that their religious roots are in Sikhism. So the first project is to educate them to bring them into the main
stream and also provide them with knowledge of Sikhism. This project is aimed at providing school supplies,
books, uniforms, shoes etc. to the 351 school going children of the Sikligar Sikh community in Karnataka.
AS part of this project Nishkam Canada is also assisting with the hiring of after school tuition teachers so that
the children that cannot be assisted by their illiterate parents with homework, have other support available
to them.

Nishkam Canada requests a monthly donation of C$ 15 that will allow it to support the needy children and allow them to become young, successful men and women. In 2005, Nishkam Canada was able to support a total 6 after school teachers for in Bangalore Nippani, Dharwad, Shigaon and Hubli, all in Karnataka. Out of 348 Sikligar Sikh families in Karnataka 79 houses were provided by Nishkam and 20 families built their own houses. Nishkam had deposited money for 34 more families. Nishkam is looking forward to buying land for places where possible and provide full assistance in building houses for the families.
This will be in line with the Udaipur (Rajasthan) project, where 26 Sikligar families have been provided Pakka houses by Nishkam with help from Sangat. The other projects that Nishkam Canada supports are:

Scholarships to needy but deserving students in Punjab, in India. These scholarships are advertised in India in the local press by Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council, India.
Provision of basic amenities to residents of old age homes and orphanages in Punjab, India.
Provision of basic teaching materials and services like drinking water and toilets in the schools in Punjab, India as well as small scholarships to bright school children in an effort to address the issue of dropout rates at the primary level.

S. Prahlad Singh Kohli (Contact No. 9054872436) is the President of this organisation. The contact details of Nishkam Canada are 98 Cordgrass Crescent, Brampton, ON, Canada L6R 2A2, Tel.: (647) 8999950, Email: nishkamcanada.org@nishkamcanada.org

Nishkam Sikh Welfare Organisation USA

As in Canada, in USA too, Nishkam Sikh Welfare Organisation is functioning under the leadership of S. Mohan Singh and S. Gurcharan Singh. S. Mohan Singh is one of the founders of the organisation. He is presently living in USA with his son Dr. Harpreet Singh. The contact detail of this organisation are address 18, Wieuca Trace, Atlanta, GA-30342, U.S.A., Tel.: 646-338-0380, Email: msinghnishkam@yahoo.com.

Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society (KSWS)

When Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society was started, it was meant mainly for the rehabilitation and social emancipation of Sikligars Sikh families who are living in Karnataka. Prior to taking up this main issue, the society had two wings namely a) Publication of News Magazine and Directory etc. for improved communication within the community and b) Youth Wing for providing proper grooming towards community service. When it realized that in many districts of Karnataka, sikligars Sikhs were living in poverty, they decided to collaborate with Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council (NSWC), New Delhi and jointly setup a Nishkam Wing with a pledge to help the disadvantaged Sikligar Sikhs with the following goals:

To reunite Sikligar Sikhs with the main stream of Sikhism, by encouraging them to attend religious services at Gurdwara Sahib and learning Gurmukhi.
Put the children through schools and provide facilities for education to their full potential.
To provide for their rehabilitation with proper housing.
To provide modern medical help wherever needed.

KSWS was thus convinced that the education can be the only vehicle, which will eventually take out these families from their miserable conditions and bring them in to the main stream of Sikhism. They started working in this regard. Currently appx. 500 children have been admitted in various schools of Karnataka where the school fees, books, stationery and uniforms etc. are being provided to all these children with the support of Sadh Sangat so that there is no burden on the families and they don’t think of withdrawing them from the schools. The promising children, who return good results, are provided scholarships, with support from the Relief Committee of Greater New York, so that they are motivated to perform even better.
Gurmukhi teaching, Gurmat teaching and Gurmat Sangeet classes are continuing for the last 13 years at Bangalore. All the school going children are regularly reciting Nitnem Banis in the mornings and evenings. Many of them have been initiated to reciting Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Children are performing Kirtan regularly at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha on Sundays.
A Gurmat Missionary has been posted by NSWC at Belgaum for providing Gurmukhi and Gurmat teaching to children and youngsters.
The families are encouraged to attend the Gurdwara Sahib on Sundays where they are encouraged to perform Seva in preparing/ distributing Langar at Bangalore. At Hubli, Dharwad, and Belgaum the families are attending Gurdwaras on Sundays. At Mudhol, Bailhungal and Rukmani Nagar and Belgaum make shift Gurdwaras have been built for the benefit of families living in that area.
With the financial help from NSWC, 22 houses and 1 Community Hall was constructed at the cost of Rs. 12.23 Lakhs The project was started in October, 2001 and completed in August, 2003. With financial support from “Trust for Welfare of Vanjaras and other Weaker Sections” Chandigarh, 20 girls had been provided training in Tailoring and 6 boys trained in the trades of Welding/Turner and they have been gainfully employed. Training in Tailoring has also been provided at Dharwad, Nipani, Bailhungal, Mudhol with equally encouraging results.
Nishkam Medical Fund had been created to take care of medical emergencies of Sikligar families from not only Bangalore but from whole of Karnataka. In certain deserving cases even non Sikligar families below the poverty line have also been provided timely help in crises situation, irrespective of religion, caste or creed. The Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society had taken up the task of their upliftment in the year 2000 on three counts with particular thrust focused on their younger generation, which was encouraged to acquire modern education, to provide them with pucca houses and to bring them within the main streamline of Sikhism by facilitating their participation in religious services at Gurdwaras, where they can also be taught Gurmukhi.

It is encouraging to see that in the short span of time tremendous change has been resulted in their life style, now they are better turned out and extremely confident in their inter-personal dealings. The ongoing initiatives are duly supported by donors from all over the world. The Sikligar Project Consists of :

To provide religious knowledge to the Sikligar children.
To provide education & non-formal technical knowledge to Sikligar children.
To provide better rehabilitation through construction of appropriate houses.
To provide medical & other assistance to cover them under better health plan.
To provide all other essentials including equal participation in Sikh streamline.

The President of Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society (Regd.) based at # 71, 1st Cross, 2nd Main, Kottigepalya, (Opp. Vokkaligara Sangha), Bangalore-560 091, is S. Jarnail Singh. Their Phone Numbers are +91 9945775663, +91 9880137156 and E-mails are : ksws.com@gmail.com, ksws. co.in@gmail.com, contact@ksws.co.in

SAF Canada sent its first supply of unprivileged Children in India

Other Helping Organisation

Nishkam group is doing a wonderful job for the upliftment of Sikligars. They are being helped by several organisations, namely Sikh Human Development Foundation, Maryland, USA, Relief Committee of Greater New York, USA, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation, Hyderabad, and All India Sikh Welfare Society, Udaipur. The Chairman of SHDF is S. Amarjeet Singh Sodhi (3015715430) and of Relief SAF Canada sent its first supply of unprivileged Children in India Committee of Greater New York is Dr. Maan Singh Saluja (171-834-58900). Dr. Reddy’s Foundation is based at Hyderabad. Sri Kapil Kumar of this foundation can be contacted on 9582206303 or on Email: info@drreddysfoundation.org. All India Welfare Society, Udaipur headed by S. Mukhtiar Singh can be contacted on Mobile No. 9829042424 and Email: info@friendseng.com.

Sikhi Awareness Foundation

Sikhi Awareness Foundation is a Canadian based international NGO, which was official by established in 2014. Following of the Sikh principle of selfless service to humanity, it has dedicated itself in such activities which aim at development and social change. For bringing such a change, the organisation selected the field of poverty alleviation for all the people regardless their race, religion, caste or nationality. The problem of poverty being very acute in India, they made India their field of operation. Its first major initiative was the child education sponsorship initiative, called Bloom Literacy Programme. As per this programme the poor children are enrolled in relatively low cost private schools and financial support is given till the child complete grade XII. The organisation takes the help of sponsors, who in turn sponsor particular children and contribute for the financial support which includes:

100% of school fees and related educational expenses (e.g. textbooks, uniforms, school supplies)
Transportation cost to and from school
Modest medical coverage for the child and his/her immediate family

This program not only provides the tangible benefits of improved literacy and employment opportunities but also intangible benefits. The intangible benefits include greater ability to more general knowledge, manage household affairs and finances, more general knowledge, and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, providing young girls, otherwise destined to be illiterate, a quality education can help thembe more confident and less dependent on men.
The organisation has another programme of providing best quality of education in Government Primary schools in Punjab. As per this plan, the school will be provided with a tablet computers, projector and teaching training so that the trained teacher may be able to teach with the latest educational aids. This will help improving the quality of education in such schools. This project is being done on collaboration with Datawind who have provided the technological resources for Punjab teachers. It may be mentioned here that Datawind has already partner with NGO’s to provide its technology to the disadvantaged children in Africa, Asia and United State. In Punjab, too Datawind has successfully implemented their technology in classrooms.
SFA international is helping in making this technology reach the neglected rural communities. Another remarkable task of the organisation is operating Gurmat academies to educate the young Sikhs about Sikh religion, its history, teachings and culture and also to trained them in traditional martial arts like gatka. This programme is helping in checking apostasy, drug addiction and violence against women. The first such academy was started in a Ludhiana village. This was an after school academy and now such academies have been are available in other districts of Punjab like Gurdaspur, Taran Taran etc. One such academy started in Gujarat and efforts are on to increase the number of such academies in other parts of the country also. The contact details of this organisation are address#201-8381 128 Street, Surrey BC, V3W4G1, Canada, Phones: +1(604)572-5577, 1(888)324-7454, Email : info@safinternational.org

The Concept of Langar

The Langar tradition is one of the most important oldest traditions of Sikhism. Wherever, there is a Gurdwara, there is Langar, meaning there by free food for all the people. This tradition was started by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. During the period of Guru Angad Dev Ji, the concept of Langar gained momentum Bibi Khiwi Ji, wife of Guru Angad Dev Ji, used to supervise the activities and herself participated in the associated services. This fact finds a mention in Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the following words

(SGGS, pg 966)

Meaning that Bibi Khiwi Ji used to distribute the kheer (the rice pudding made with milk) as a Langar dish. The main feature of the langar was that rich and poor, high and low, all used to sit together to partake Langar. When Emperor Akbar came to see Guru Amar Das Ji, he had also to sit along with ordinary people to share the free food (langar). Since then, the Langar has become an integral part of the Gurdwara activities. This fact of getting free food at a Gurdwara is very well known in the present world. The word Langar has become so common that it is now found even in English dictionaries. It is not only because of free supply of food that people know it, it is mainly the concept behind this service being that of equality of all human beings, that impresses everyone. Everyone is welcome to share the Langar. In the Golden Temple at Amritsar 75 thousands devotees or tourist par take Langar everyday. This number becomes double or even more on special occasions like Guru-Purabs. Similarly, in all other Gurdwaras of the world, lakhs of people take Langar (free food), irrespective of their caste, religion, sex, nationality. Even where there are very few Sikhs, they take care of the hungry people by providing Langar. For example, in Dimapur in Nagaland, the number of Sikhs is very small, but they provide Langar to the hungry and destitute almost every single night, all year round. In addition to the feeding the hungry, the Gurdwara in Dimapur has also been quenching the thirst of thousands of inhabitants of the city with no access to clean drinking water. Just about anyone can draw filtered water from the taps at the Gurdwara. Kumar, a regular who also relies on the free water service provided by the shrine stated that, “I always come here to get drinking water for my family because this water is so clean and pure and its always free and available”. The service has been available to the people of Dimapur since 1951 by the Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha.