Sikhism and Covid-19: Ethics of community service and activism

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the role of the Sikh community in India in creating new models of collective action during the Covid-19 crisis. As India continued to be ravaged with the devastating impact of the pandemic, Sikh communities came to the forefront to help the most vulnerable groups in Indian society. The author analyses the rationale of religiously motivated community service and highlights how Sikhs employed the concept of seva (selfless service), activism (speaking truth to power) and humanitarianism as central and equal pillars of Sikh philosophy to create new forms of collectivism and ethical practice during the Covid-19 pandemic.