COVID-19 Lockdown: Gurdwara Feeds Madarsa Students in Malerkotla

“We took responsibility of feeding 40 students at the madarsa. No child should go hungry,” Narinder Pal Singh

Volunteers from Gurdwara Haa Da Naara feeding Madrasa students in Malerkotla

Gurdwara Haa Da Naara Facebook Page

Even amid the threat of Coronavirus and a nationwide lockdown, a few good samaritans are going out of their way to help others around them who might be facing difficulties.

In Punjab’s Malerkotla, a city famous for its communal harmony since centuries, a Gurdwara has taken the responsibility of feeding students in a nearby Madarsa.

Gurdwara Haa Da Naara Sahib is located on the Ludhiana-Sangrur Highway.

“When the lockdown was about to be imposed, some of the students at the madarsa were sent away to their respective homes but about 40 of them, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were stuck here. We heard that they were having difficulty feeding them. So we decided to take up the responsibility of feeding them. No child should go hungry,” Bhai Narinder Pal Singh, Head Granthi of the Haa Da Naara Sahib Gurdwara, told The Quint.

The Madarsa is located just about a kilometer from the Gurdwara.

The maulvi of the Madarsa, which mostly has students from outside Punjab, is extremely grateful for the help being provided by the Gurdwara.

“After the imposition of curfew, the trains were cancelled. Since we did not expect sudden curfew, we couldn’t make required arrangements. But we are thankful to the gurdwara committee for taking care of it. They always help whenever anyone is in trouble,” Janab Salim, the Maulvi in-charge of the Madarsa told The Tribune, where this story appeared first

Narinder Pal Singh says that the Gurdwara is supplying food to 1000 people two times a day.

“We feed 1000 people in the morning and 1000 people in the evening. We are grateful to local people for their support. Someone comes and gives flour, someone gives pulses. Local women have also been helping” he told The Quint.

Another Gurdwara in Malerkotla has taken the responsibility of feeding several migrant labourers who are stuck due to the lockdown.

“These people are extremely poor and have no supplies. They were unable to go back home because of the curfew. We ensure that they get food everyday. We have a team which distributes food in various bastis twice a day,” Kuldeep Singh, the in-charge of the Gurdwara told The Quint.

According to Kuldeep, the Gurdwara is feeding 800 people in the morning and 700 people in the evening.