This last weekend Sikhs remembered Guru Harkrishan Ji's Jyoti Jot where the child Guru healed thousands of Delhi residents who were afflicted with smallpox. The remembrance coincided with a modern crisis as India's covid cases have sky rocketed with a new series of record deaths in one day. Thousands of afflicted are seeing a short supply of the element that can help their decreased capacity to breathe: Oxygen. It is being called an oxygen crisis.
Many onlookers overseas don't know what do to besides to send our prayers while desperate Indians are doing everything they can do procure oxygen for their suffering relatives. Cremation grounds now have lines of bodies waiting for cremation but there are simply too many dead to be processed.
However there are organizations who are doing their best to provide assistance on the ground:
Khalsa Aid has procured oxygen concentrators for people in Delhi and has delivered fire wood to overwhelmed cremation sites. They are currently appealing for donations for more oxygen machines. DONATE TO KHALSA AID.
Hemkunt Foundation has been collecting oxygen tanks from various states in India, then giving them out for free to anyone who shows that they are in dire need. DONATE TO HEMKUNT FOUNDATION.
Kalgidhar Society Baru Sahib has helped over 350 Covid patients have been helped by their Akal Charitable Hospital. It is the only refuge for patients in that area of Himachal Pradesh within a radius of 60km in the district of Sirmaur. DONATE TO AKAL CHARITABLE HOSPITAL.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Seva Dal has taken it upon themselves to cremate bodies that the cremation yards are unable to attend to.
Khalsa Akaal Purakh Ki Fauj Sewak Jatha is spreading the word to help with providing cylinders.
Kripa 2% Wale is a youth group dedicated to langar which has now taken it on themselves to provide nebulizers to provide temporary relief.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has for a long time been providing the most inexpensive MRI scans to the public in their forward looking langar concept. In response to this crisis they've started delivering langar to the homes of the sick and is now looking to get medical equipment.
One sevadar was asked to comment on politicians blaming each other for the state of affairs and responded, "You can play the blame game if you want to but we need to work. It's now or never basically, we can't waste time."
Only God knows how many lives have been saved by the selfless actions of such saintly hearts who have sprung into action to answer humanity's call.
In this sacred week, when we remember the merging of Guru Harkrishan Sahib, and next week when we remember the same for Guru Teg Bahadur, let us also pray for all those who are suffering and support those who are helping in any way we can.
As your pray, and or donate, here is a playlist of Guru Teg Bahadur shabds:
