SEVADAR - ONE WHO GIVES SERVICE FREE OF CHARGE
This project looked at the Sikh faith particularly relating to the concept of serva or selfless service and how it ideally placed the volunteers of the Mel Milaap Community Centre to continue their service during the Covid-19 pandemic, by providing food to the vulnerable and self isolating members of their community.
Sevadar, the title of this project is a Punjabi word meaning one who gives service free of charge. Worldwide, Sikh temples, also known as Gurdwaras, offer free meals daily to anyone. regardless of their religion, caste, gender, ethnicity or economic status. This practice is called Langar and it is one of the tenets of faith that is a key part of the Sikh religion.
Volunteers producing food are offering selfless service or serva, to the community at large. During lockdown this act of service was driven by the need of the community and was performed daily, despite the possible risk of infection. More importantly, despite a report from Public Health England published on the BBC news website on 17 June 2020 that found people from ethnic groups are most likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19, and death rates are highest among Black and Asian minority ethnic groups (BAME).
This project records the commitment of the Sikh men and women or Sevadar of the Mel Milaap Community Centre in Glasgow. They provided a daily serving of some of the 14,200 meals in conjunction with the Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha in Glasgow over a seven month period during lockdown from March to September in 2020. Providing these meals was a process that required commitment, devotion and careful planning.