A team visits the quarantine centres twice a day to deliver food packets

Amid the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown, the Sikh community in Kashmir have started serving langar to people admitted in the quarantine centres.

Strict food hygiene practices such as maintaining social distancing and using face masks and gloves were observed while the food was prepared.

“We have started serving meals to the Muslim community at various quarantine centres in different districts of the Valley,” said Navtej Singh, secretary of Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (GPC) Srinagar.

He said that to date, they have provided meals to around 250 people in Srinagar district on Friday. “We will continue serving food to people in the coming time as well,” he said.

After the gurdwara committee received complaints about poor quality food being served at quarantine centres in the district, they decided to do something about it. “There were many people in such centres who were not getting food on time, so we decided to provide food packets to them,” said Balbir Singh, secretary of GPC in Budgam.

“A team visits the quarantine centres twice a day to deliver the food packets. They are happy with our service,” said Salinder Singh, president GPC Chatrogam, Tral.

The food is also being served at quarantine centres in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and more than 300 people have been covered under the initiative so far.

Pardeep Singh Dardi, a social activist said that Sikhs have always been the front runners in the troubled times across the world. “The community has provided personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, sanitisers, masks, medicines, dry ration and other essential items to the needy people in the valley so far,” he said.

“We have been following government guidelines to carry out the relief work. We don’t want anyone to suffer,” said Balwinder Singh, chairman of Sikh Welfare Trust, Kashmir.

A student who has been quarantined at a hotel in the city’s Lal Chowk area said, “We have always received a heart-warming response from the community.”

Courtesy: Hindustan Times