Experts, Celebrities And Socialites Come Together To Contribute Towards #DilSeSewa Telethon - An Initiative To Help India Breathe

India is going through a crisis.  At a time when infection rates are soaring and every day brings grim news, at a time when beds, oxygen, medicine and hope seem to have all run out, all of India is feeling the same despair, the same distress, the same devastation. The Sikh community has been at the forefront of relentlessly helping people during through the pandemic. If the rich living tradition of food sharing, as widely practiced in langars or community kitchens, fed millions last year. This year, continuing the tradition of sewa -  the langars have provided an even more critical and basic element of life – oxygen.

In an attempt to pay tribute to this Guru Sewa and keep the tradition of langars going, NDTV in collaboration with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has initiated a campaign #DilSeSewa - Help India Breathe. The funds raised will aid in providing this urgently needed support, amongst many others. It will go to support the gurdwara's immediate and critical interventions like the oxygen langars, a newly created COVID care facility and the free ambulance service. But it will also contribute to other existing efforts that aims to strengthen India's health system for the future  – the free dialysis hospital, the low cost MRI & CT Scan centre and the dawakhanas that provide medicines at reasonable rates.

Talking about the Dil Se Sewa campaign and why the initiative decided to start oxygen langars, this time around, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, President, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee said,

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, President, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee on why the gurdwara decided to start oxygen langar sewa

You must have felt that there was a time when everyone was helpless. We have never felt anything is impossible in all these years. We were unable to arrange anything. Like a child trusts his/her father, I felt similarly people trust sikhs, that we can get them out of any situation. That's why we decided to bring oxygen from different parts of the country and save people. Within 24 hours we decided to start oxygen langar.

Joining the campaign with NDTV's Dr Prannoy Roy, Naresh Gujral, Rajya Sabha MP said,

Naresh Gujral, Rajya Sabha MP lauds the work being done by Sikh community in this time of crisis

In this pandemic sikh people have redefined words empathy and compassion. I especially admire the role of sikh youth who have been at the forefront in this crisis, even knowing that this can put them at risk.

He further said,

This time what I feel is that the Sikhs have changed the very definition of religion. What needs to be admired is that they didn't look at the religion, they opened up hospitals to everyone and served with generosity. This is not the first time, whether it's manmade crisis or natural disasters, sikhs are always at the forefront.

Rohit Shetty, Director & Producer too lent his support by joining the Dil Se Sewa telethon and said,

Rohit Shetty, Director & Producer urges people to get associated with organisations like DSGMC and help people in need

My contribution is a drop in the ocean of work being done by DSGMC and Mr Sirsa. I think, the pandemic has taught us one thing that we all need to come together to fight any problem. We have to get over our religion. It is important that we get associated with organisations like DSGMC and help people.

HS Kandhari, CEO, Ponty Chadha Foundation (PCF) also joined the Dil Se Sewa telethon and spoke about the little efforts being done by his foundation in COVID times. He said,

HS Kandhari, CEO, Ponty Chadha Foundation (PCF) on Dil Se Sewa telethon

We have actually started with couple of things with making sure that hunger relief is taken care of, along with the need of oxygen concentrators. We have tied up with certain government agencies to support some oxygen concentrators provision. We are tying up with gurdwara agencies and gurdwara sewa programmes and ensure that the food and the sewa programmes are being continued. In addition to that, we have also started various other campaigns.

Harbhajan Singh, Indian Spin Bowler also lent his support and said,

Harbhajan Singh thanks all his sikh brothers who are working on the ground

I would like to thank all my sikh brothers who are working on the ground with all my heart. They also have a family but still they are out there helping people. They are not doctors but they are sent by god, standing on the frontlines. I feel so proud to be a part of the community that never steps back. The spirit and humanity that we have seen among sikhs is commendable. We should forget religion, we all are humans. Sikhs are helping human beings, whenever they need me, I try to associate with them and work. I don't try to come at the front and show what I did. I salute to the people showing the work being done by others.

Speaking about efforts being made to tackle coronavirus crisis, Vikramjit Sahney, Chairman, Sun Foundation & International President, World Punjabi Organization added,

Vikramjit Sahney, Chairman, Sun Foundation & International President, World Punjabi Organization on how they are helping citizens of India in the times of COVID-19

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, we were able to mop up, because oxygen shortage was there, about 500 oxygen concentrators, along with our foundation Sun foundation, along with generous support of Mr. Steve Gupta, Chairman, Gupta family foundation from Toronto and Dr. Dubey. And we had donated over 300 concentrators to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj and Guru Teg Bahadur COVID center, which is a very good facility. 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. And now, since COVID is spreading into rural areas of Punjab, we have partnered with Punjab government, and we have provided these oxygen langar sewas at Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Bathinda, Damdama Sahib and everywhere. But now Punjab is facing acute shortage of oxygen. So now the new demand is coming and we are busy organising with government of Punjab and other bodies there for oxygen cylinders.

Highlighting the sewa culture of sikhs, Rajeev Juneja, Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Mankind Pharma said,

Rajeev Juneja, Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Mankind Pharma talked about the sikh culture and how in the COVID crisis it is this community that has helped every other individual without seeing the caste, class or race

Sewa cannot be done without heart. Selflessness of Sikh is impressive. If I ask my son to polish my shoes or sweep my floor, he will say what are you saying? The same son will do these things in Gurdwara. That's the environment there. Secondly, what impresses you is that they offer you food with dignity and grace. They don't see your caste, class, race. Thirdly, langar of food is always there. But to provide langar of oxygen is something new and how they rose to the occasion is impressive. During these crisis of crisis times, when we all were fighting for our mankind and other basic things, many of us were told that we can find it in gurdwara.

Bhumi Pednekar, Actor, Covid Warrior also joined the telethon and urged people to come forward and help people in need in whatever way they can. She also spoke about her initiative and said,

Bhumi Pednekar talks about her initiative and how she has been helping people in COVID-19 times

COVID warrior started a couple of weeks ago. It started with the state of Maharashtra, because that time Maharashtra state wasn't doing very well. I've recently recovered from COVID, and I realised through my personal experience that it wasn't as easy, getting help for my loved ones. That's when it struck me, if it is so complicated and if I can be so panicked and in such a situation of stress, what would a person who does not have the kind of access that I have, must have gone through.

Further talking about her initiative and what made her start the same, the actor said, 

So, it literally started with me sharing a request for plasma on Instagram. And then my messages were full of requests. I realised that process was actually helping people match donors. I thought ok, this is great. I can really utilise my social media to genuinely help people. I thought we need to add in more people to help in this process. So, we started COVID Warrior initiative. In a matter of 4 hours, from just 3 people it went to 70 people. And today we are 200 strong volunteers. And they have genuinely been a great help. Literally from verifying numbers to giving verified leads - from concentrators, to cylinders, to getting a bed, and arranging an ambulance - we try and help the patient's family and the patient. We try and aid them to the best of our capabilities. There is no fool proof method to what we do, because it is a citizen led initiative, for the people, by the people. But so far, we have managed to help quite a few people and that is what has kept us motivated.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Labour MP (Slough), U.K. said, 

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Labour MP (Slough), U.K says, “It is important that we all come together”

We have been immensely proud to see footage of the Gurdwaras coming forth and providing the service, providing that sewa to the community. 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.

Joining the Dil Se Sewa Telethon, Anuradha Paudwal, Singer said,

Anuradha Paudwal, Singer appreciates the Sewa that is being done by Sikh community to help people in the COVID-19 crisis

Sewa is sewa. It's not like that if you help 10,000 then it's a big sewa and if you have helped 2 people then it's any less. Do whatever you can and I have a great regard for the sewa that the sikh community is always constantly doing. And they do it so selflessly, be it a langar or during the COVID time for oxygen. They have just put up a 400 bed hospital within 15 days, it is in the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. And they have put it in just 15 days. This is incredible. The best thing about it is that it is all free of charge. So, patient don't have to worry about the bill. So, in their own way they are setting an example.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, The Art Of Living Foundation also joined the telethon and spoke about mental health. He said, 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, The Art Of Living Foundation urges people to come out and help others instead of sulking and being in their own well

This is a very challenging time. On one side, we see people around us are suffering and they are still 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.  People keep sulking even more, becoming more miserable. But this is the time to wake up and come and help other people. I think one can get over this mental trauma by helping others at this crucial time.

Talking about the COVID crisis in India and what we all can do to overcome the pandemic, Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman & Managing Director, Medanta - The Medicity said,

Naresh Trehan, Chairman & Managing Director, Medanta - The Medicity on the need for more services like the ones the Sikh community has opened up in India

There are many gaps between what is needed in the current crisis and what we need. Sewa is an important part of the ethos of sikhs. But I must say that all these things that they have done today in the gurdwara like dialysis unit, covid beds, langars, medicines, all these things are plugging the gap. If more organisations help then it will help. I believe India stands on the pillars of different bodies. This has been a saving grace for our society and country at large. Service being done is very critical and fills critical gap. COVID patients are finding extremely hard for dialysis. Generally there is shortage of dialysis units in our country and when you add covid, it becomes even more difficult, services like this fill the gap. I think it is a great example to be followed by others.

Actor Rajkummar Rao also lent his support to the initiative and urged people to come together and be there for each other. He asked people to wear mask, stay at home and maintain social distancing. He said,

Actor Rajkummar Rao urges people to be there for each other in this crisis

Well, this is the only way to conquer this. This disease is so uncertain. We don't know how it functions, how it spreads. And there are so many people suffering in our country, and all over the world. So the least we can do is help each other out, in these tough times. I think everybody can come forward and help others. And if you can't do that, at least you can do is just be responsible and don't let it spread through you. Wear your mask, maintain social distancing. That's the least you can contribute. Otherwise, I would say, just step ahead and help whoever you can, because this is a time that we all have to be there for each other as a community.