Jalsa Salana/Annual Conventions

People of Jalsa: Serving Food

Arbab Karim has volunteered to serve food to the guests of the Jalsa for the last 15 years. His calm yet assertive handling of the lengthy queues lining up for lunch hints towards his full-time profession. A policeman on the streets of London, this year’s reduced-capacity Jalsa is proving relatively serene. Only 4,000 are permitted to attend each day, compared to the 40,000 plus that typically attends in years gone by, when vast crowds would funnel through the dining marquee within a short timeslot allocated for lunch.

‘It’s an honour to serve guests, knowing I have helped to feed thousands of people all here for the same cause”. Despite the calm, Arbab looks forward to next year and the larger crowds returning again, when his talents will no doubt be required once more, for the 16th year…’