Offering to the Guru

Asha and Ramesh Seth write about their experience of celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at the Fremont gurdwara in the USA. The visit brought home to them the creed of sharing one’s good fortune with the less fortunate

The City of Fremont gurdwara is among the three most influential in the US

On one of our trips abroad we were in Fremont to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Fremont is the heart of the famous Silicon Valley. In Fremont there is a sizeable Sikh population. The local gurdwara is among the top three influential gurdwaras of America. The Sikh creed of sharing one’s good fortune with less fortunate human beings was brought home to us vividly at the Fremont gurdwara during our stay. It was there that we saw a miracle coinciding with Guru Nanak’s birthday celebrations.

Owing to the Gurpurab celebrations, every day a larger than normal sangat would collect in the gurdwara. For that week, they also had some special kirtan programmes to regale the sangat. We enjoyed ourselves in that festive atmosphere.

However, as it was middle of November and winter season was coming, the City of Fremont had a problem at hand. It was known that soon the number of destitute in municipal shelters would swell. A larger number of destitute would also mean that more food would be required. The city was preparing for the eventuality well in advance. The authorities cast their net far and wide to collect contributions for feeding the destitute.

Just one day before the birthday of Guru Nanak, we found six empty barrels lying outside the main entrance of the Diwan Hall of the gurdwara. The gurdwara management made an announcement explaining to the sangat that those barrels were placed on behalf of the City of Fremont as part of a groceries collection drive for feeding the poor of the city who would be wintering in the city shelters. Explaining the background, the gurdwara committee requested the sangat to fill those barrels with packaged dry groceries. It was to be a voluntary effort entirely. No one was personally approached.

The six barrels were placed there on Saturday morning. By Sunday afternoon they were full. The Sikhs of Fremont brought groceries and filled the barrels without wasting any time, even though the sangat knew very well that the collection was not for the use of the Sikhs, or even Indians. Most of the destitute were Whites, Blacks or Mexicans. The fact was not even important for the sangat.

In fact none of Guru Nanak’s Sikhs was giving anything to another human being. They were humbly offering their contribution to the Guru. What the Guru does with all the stuff was His affair. It was like Bhai Kanhyaji telling Guru Gobind Singh that he did not provide water to the Turks in the battlefield. He had put water only in the Guru’s own mouth. After 300 years of that incident, we had seen one such scene with our own eyes. As an Indian, and more so as a Punjabi, I was filled with pride that our people had done it; so quickly, and so effortlessly. Later I discussed about the contribution of the sangat in filling the barrels with Nirmal Singh, gurdwara president. He said, "You haven’t seen it all as yet. This is only the beginning." He added with a large, satisfied smile, "I had a talk with the Mayor. The collection drive is to last till December-end. I have told the Mayor to keep sending six barrels twice a week till the end of their drive. Our sangat will fill them. I know our sangat."

Twelve barrels every week, till the city stops its collection drive. It means the city may get tired of the collection drive but not the Sikhs. It showed the wonderful spirit of our people. I could bask in some chauvinistic pride.

"The Mayor would be happy," I said relishing the scene.

"Not only happy, but surprised too," said Nirmal Singh, very satisfied at the success of the drive. "The Sikhs are present in the Bay area in sizeable numbers. It is high time that the Whites should know that we could contribute to the civic welfare as well. Remember Baba Nanak’s "Wand Chchako?"

I could not agree more. How proud I felt at the reaction of our sangat. And being a Punjabi, I was glad that all that happened when I was in Fremont. I had seen a sight worthy of the gods.

I mused over it. There is an American expression "hard drinking, hard driving." Well, such are the Sikhs, whether in India or abroad, hard at work, and quick at sharing. When more Indians learn this Gurmantra, India would be a changed land.

"In our religion, contribution of money is less important than performing seva. No doubt money is important but seva is what sets the Sikhs apart from all other people. You see it in the gurdwaras all the time. No one asks them to do it. Everyone knows that is how things are. People volunteer to do what needs to be done."

I could not agree more. During our odyssey in North America we had seen it again and again. It was a genuine miracle that we saw in the making in Fremont.

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