His selfless sewa: Free ride to Golden Temple in e-rickshaw

Amritsar, July 3
Surinder Singh, a rickshaw puller known for offering a free ride to devotees from the railway station to the Golden Temple, now owns an e-rickshaw, thanks to an NRI Sikh.
Surinder is using the battery-operated vehicle to ferry about 30 passengers to the shrine every day – again without taking a penny.
He recalls how it all started: “In 2011, I met a man who wanted to visit the Golden Temple, but had no money. I offered him a free ride. Taking him to the shrine gave me great satisfaction. Then, I decided to do it for devotees on a daily basis.”
“Our Gurus asked us to donate 10 per cent of our earnings to the poor. Being a Sikh, it is my duty to make a donation. I am serving the community in my own way,” said Surinder, a resident of Guru Ki Wadali village in the district.
During a visit to the city, a Sikh devotee from abroad was impressed by Surinder’s sewa. He helped him buy the vehicle.
He makes about six trips to the Sikhs’ holiest shrine daily. Surinder doesn’t earn much by ferrying people to other parts of the city, but the selfless service keeps the 50-year-old villager in high spirits.