Fighting hunger, creating equality and spreading compassion.
Harman Dhillon said that’s what he and a group of Sikh youth were doing when they set up a tent at the University of Calgary on Monday and gave out free food.
“A lot of people see us on the streets, see me at school and just see me as a turban and a beard,” he said. “But they don’t see what my goal is, what my mission is.”
Dhillon said the event was part of Langar Week, which is an event held globally by people of the Sikh faith as a way to reach out to other cultures. Langar is practiced inside Sikh temples, called Gurdwaras, where free food is offered to anyone who needs it.
Dhillon said Langar is meant to create equality, as the rich and the poor are given the same food and equal respect. He said throughout the day, it also gave him a chance to learn about other cultures, and see the similarities between them.
“What we tend to do, we take a tree and we start fighting over a leaf. But we don’t understand what the roots are,” he said, saying most people are working towards a common goal.
The group will also be giving out free food for Langar Week at Mount Royal University on Thursday and City Hall on Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.