Amritsar: The ten Sikh Gurus laid due stress on 'Sewa' or selfless service to humanity, and it is not unusual to see a Sikh performing the same, least of all at a 'Joda Ghar' at a Gurudwara, where devotees keep their shoes before entering the shrine.
But what lends distinction to the ‘Sewa’ performed by Baljinder Singh Balli, otherwise a vegetable vendor by profession is his consistent presence at a mosque every Friday for the past over 35 years to render his services at the ‘Joda Ghar’ there.
The mosque in question is none other than Amritsar’s historic Jama Masjid Khair-ud-Din. Rain or shine, Baljinder Singh has been rendering his services at the ‘Joda Ghar’ of the mosque every Friday during the prayers held there.
“I was 35 when I started coming here to watch over the shoes. Earlier we used to keep shoes at Sri Darbar Sahib. My elders rendered their services there for 90 years. Later, they made me sit here. Come rain or storm, I have to be here every Friday no matter what happens,” he says.
The fact that he keeps shoes at the ‘Joda Ghar’ at a mosque does not mortify Baljinder Singh at all. He claims that no one has ever humiliated or castigated him for this.
“No one has ever said anything to me either from within my own family or anyone from outside. People treat me with immense love and greet me with a hug with brotherly affection when they meet me. They address me as 'Bapu Ji'. I am 60-years-old now. Everyone greets me with love and says, 'Sardar Ji, you are doing a great job reaching out to the Muslims with the message of unity! You are doing a good thing',” he asserts proudly.
Every Friday, his day begins with laying out the tokens. “I lay out the tokens as soon as I arrive and start with the process of keeping the shoes in order soon after,” says Baljinder Singh. Besides this, he also oversees the maintenance, sanitation, parking of vehicles, solving the problems faced by ‘namazis’ (devotees, who come to offer ‘namaaz).
“‘Sardar Ji’ has been performing ‘Sewa’ as the keeper of shoes for the past more than 40 years without any discrimination and very selflessly. Probably nowhere else in the world would one find a man of another creed rendering his services not only as a shoe-keeper, but also every other kind of ‘Sewa’ at a mosque every Friday and on all ‘Eids’. This is a rare gesture of love,” says Mohammed Danish, whose father is a Maulavi at the Mosque.
The spirit of bonhomie is mutual between Baljinder Singh and the Mosque authorities, who did everything that they could to help him out when his liver got damaged. “I do not get any pension from the government,” said Baljinder. “They did a lot for me and helped me stand back on my feet again. I would have died without their help,” he said. Baljinder sends his son to perform the ‘Sewa’ when he is unable to make it on account of frail health.
Baljinder says that coming to the mosque gives him immense peace of mind. He says his ‘Sewa’ as a shoe-keeper at the mosque gives out the message of universal brotherhood. "What is ‘brotherhood’? Hindu, Sikh, Musalman let’s all unite."
This is a story of a Sikh gentleman Baljinder Singh who has set an example of communal harmony by doing selfless service of taking care of "Jodas" (footwear) of Muslim devotees during every Friday prayers at #KhairuddinMosque located in the walled city Amritsar#FridayMotivation pic.twitter.com/l4clj7JfCR
— Ravinder Singh Robin ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ رویندرسنگھ روبن (@rsrobin1) February 11, 2022
Mian Mir, a Muslim, laid the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib on the brick thrown by Sri Guru Ram Dass ji. See how smoothly everything is going on there,” he states. “Our ancestors shared the same ‘Thali’ (plate) prior to the partition and lived together in peace. Let us all follow in their footsteps,” he adds.
