KARSTEN MIRANDA
karsten@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Amidst the wide-spread humanitarian outreach efforts in the State by various groups and individuals to help the families of those who are receiving medical care for COVID, one such group is the Goa Sikh Youth Association (GSYA).
During last year’s lockdown, this group served food and provided other essentials and medicines to over 4,000 people.
This year, stationed at the entrance of Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, they have been preparing fresh vegetarian meals daily, which are being served free of cost to the COVID patients, their families and friends.
The presence of these men in turbans outside the hospital, reminds the public of the yeomen service by the Sikh community across the country whenever people have been in need of help.
“Sardars have their duty to humanity,” says Sandeep Gill, GSYA leader, while talking to Herald about what had motivated this group of 10 to take up this kind of work.
They can be seen around noon at GMC with their van and their meals are served in containers and in “thaalis”.
The group had first responded to the calls for oxygen cylinders to be provided for and the people who received them thanked the GSYA for the providing aid at their time in need.
Thereafter, they moved to preparing and serving meals and their main interest is to provide assistance in any way they can and this was one option they felt would help the caregivers at GMC. This move too has been praised by many, especially those who have received GSYA’s food.
The Association, which was formed in 2016, has been giving aid to people in need in other forms as well, such as paying the rent to widows during the lockdown or funding the entire cost of other medical treatment such as cataract operations.
