Kar seva is one of the main teachings of Sikhism which means selfless service of others. A tradition set fourth with the clear understanding that there is God within all of us; thus by serving humanity you are serving Gods creation. Kar Seva is also performed further by offering service for a religious cause, often for constructing a place of worship serving the One Creator. A volunteer for kar seva is called a kar sevak. Historically, kar seva is a Sikh tradition. However, in recent times, the Hindu organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad has also used it in its Ayodhya campaign.
Contents
Meaning
Kar Seva is derived from Sanskrit words kar, meaning hands or work, and seva, meaning service. In Punjabi, the word seva also means "to worship, to adore, to pay homage through the act of love." In the writings of Sikh gurus, these two meanings of seva (service and worship) have been merged. Seva is expected to be a labour of love performed without desire and intention, and with humility. Kar seva is often translated as "voluntary labour."
Kar seva for the Golden Temple
According to tradition, Guru Hargobind had the Akal Takht (the seat of God) at the Golden Temple built through kar seva. When the Mughal emperor Jahangir visited the site, he offered help for the construction. The Guru is said to have politely refused the offer stating that the Akal Takht should be constructed by the followers of the faith through their own hands.
Since it involves voluntary work by the community, kar seva is considered the most respected method for constructing Sikh gurdwaras.
On 4 June 1984, the Golden Temple faced a military action by the Indian government for clearing it of the militant separatists lodged there. The temple was damaged during the action, in particular the Akal Takht. The Government decided to repair the damaged Akal Takht under the leadership of the Home Minister Buta Singh. The reconstruction was labelled kar seva and ostensibly organised by the nihang leader Jathedar Baba Santa Singhji Budahdal, but carried out by the Public Works Department and its contractors. The High Priests of the Golden Temple rejected the effort and excommunicated Santa Singh. The reconstruction was dubbed sarkar seva (government service). When the rebuilt temple was handed over to the High Priests, they decided to pull it down and rebuild it. Subsequently, it was demolished on 26 January 1986 and rebuilt through traditional kar seva.
In May 2008, the Outlook magazine reported that hundreds of historic gurdwaras were being demolished and replaced by new "garish, opulent, marble gurudwaras." It was said that the large amounts of money collected for the rebuilding of the Akal Takht made the babas aware of the money available from donations and led to these reconstructions.
Organisation of Sikh kar seva
A main organiser of kar seva for Sikh gurudwaras is the "Kar Seva" organisation of Harbans Singh and others based in the Bangla Sahib gurdwara in Delhi. It has several offices in Punjab and Haryana, and organises the construction and refurbishment of a large number of gurdwaras in India. The organisation is said to extensive financial donations from abroad.
The Guru Nanak Nishkam Sevak Jatha based in Birmingham, UK, organises kar seva in the UK as well as India. It was established by Baba Puran Singh in 1976, who moved from Kericho, Kenya to the UK a few years earlier. The group constructed the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Birmingham and several others in the UK as well as India. Its projects include the refurbishment of the gold exterior of the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
Kar seva in Ayodhya
In February 1989, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) resolved to build a Ram temple at the disputed Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya, which was deemed to be the birth spot of Rama. The VHP used the erstwhile Sikh system of kar seva to mobilise activists. The first instance of kar seva was called for 10 November 1989, along with a foundation-laying ceremony (shilanyas). The kar seva was halted after one day. The second round of kar seva was called for 30 October 1990. A massive mobilisation was carried out throughout the country, along with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, the efforts were thwarted by the heavy security arrangements of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. A third round of kar seva was called for 6 December 1992. This time, with a sympathetic Government run by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the kar sevaks stormed the mosque and demolished it.