The 21-day lockdown in India due to the coronavirus outbreak, that is now set to be extended for another fifteen days seeing the prevailing conditions and spike in cases, has left many bereft of basic necessities for sustenance. Agricultural labourers, daily wagers, construction workers, scrap pickers, vegetable vendors apart from scores of people who live in low-income and impoverished neighbourhoods over the length and breadth of the country are finding it hard to survive without food and money.
Though the government has put measures in place to help the underprivileged, help is yet to reach all of them. In this time, volunteer organizations like the United Sikhs have come forward to help the last person in need.
Yesterday, The Sentinel, Assam reported how the United Sikhs are not only providing two meals but also dishing out breakfast and tea to the needy in Shillong. Surendra Pal Singh Sahota, the North-East in-charge of the United Sikhs says that the organization, as part of their Emergency Relief Mission – Feed the Hungry, has visited the areas of Polo, Pynthobah, Nongrah, Happy Valley and Nongmensong to feed the hungry.
He said, “Due to the lockdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many people who are hungry. We wanted to help such needy people so we are distributing food to them.”
He also informed that while some localities are asking for raw materials, the organization has found it impossible to provide for the same due to the ongoing lockdown. “We therefore came today evening to serve dinner to the people in Jhalupara locality,” the in-charge of United Sikhs in northeast added.
#UNITEDSIKHS team at #Shillong is preparing langar (hot meals) for more than 200 people to be distributed to the needy twice a day.
Join us in our efforts by donating to our #COVID19 Emergency Relief Mission – Feed The Hungry.https://t.co/AyZ8QNQscr#CoronaVirusIndia pic.twitter.com/gDiMvRo1u3— UNITED SIKHS (@unitedsikhs) April 10, 2020
#UNITEDSIKHS responds to the call for food in #Shillong.
UNITED SIKHS volunteers provides Emergency Relief to the ones most impacted due to #IndiaLockdown.
Langar (hot meals) for 200 persons are being prepared at #Gurdwara Sahib, 29 Cantt, Shillong.#FightAgainstCoronavirus pic.twitter.com/llop8A8JAa— UNITED SIKHS (@unitedsikhs) April 8, 2020
The organization also provided food to the needy in Jagiroad in Guwahati, Assam where they provided 200 meals and mineral water to the people.
United Sikhs has been active in the field of aid. In August, 2019, after the abrogation of article 370 and the subsequent lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir, they had helped Kashmiri girls stranded in Maharashtra get back home. Today, the organisation continues to serve people around the world as they battle this pandemic.
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