In an era where acts of kindness are often staged for social media applause, a new book offers a quiet but powerful corrective. 'Sewa – The Road to Salvation', authored by Dr. Surender Singh Kandhari, presents a philosophy of selfless service that asks for no recognition. Published on January 8, 2026, this work is less a theoretical guide and more an evidentiary manual for decency in a fractured world.
The Essence of Sewa: Service as a Way of Being
The book firmly establishes that sewa is not about charity or grand, one-time gestures. Instead, Dr. Kandhari roots his exploration in the Sikh tradition to argue that sewa is a sustained way of being. It is about conduct when no one is watching and responding to suffering without being asked. The core ethic, encapsulated in the phrase 'Serving Everyone Without Appreciation', is presented as a radical act in today's attention-driven economy.
Kandhari elaborates on various dimensions of service: of the body, mind, time, and wealth. However, he places the greatest emphasis on the sewa of intention. This is the kind of action where, as the saying goes, the left hand does not know what the right has done. The book draws on the foundational Sikh practice established by Guru Nanak, where hierarchies were dissolved by having kings and labourers sit together, eat the same food, and acknowledge shared humanity.
Proof Over Philosophy: The Living Example
What sets this book apart is its grounding in tangible action rather than abstract theory. Kandhari does not just write about service; he documents and lives it. The text points to real-world examples like the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar in Dubai, where langar (community kitchen) operates ceaselessly, feeding thousands daily irrespective of faith, nationality, or status.
The book highlights how during global crises—pandemics, earthquakes, displacements—Sikh volunteers (sewadars) consistently appear with essential supplies: food, water, medicine, oxygen, and shelter. These efforts are characterized by their lack of branding or broadcast. They are simply present, acting not as saviors but as humble servants. This, Kandhari suggests, is where sewa transforms from a philosophy into undeniable proof of a functional compassion.
A Call for Sincerity Over Scale
Sewa – The Road to Salvation does not demand heroic deeds. Its power lies in advocating for simple availability. Kandhari persuasively argues that sewa does not require vast resources or scale; it requires sincerity and humility. A quietly cooked meal, a phone call without agenda, a small kindness extended without expectation of a receipt—these acts, he reminds readers, can reorder a life.
The prose is calm and meditative, yet carries an urgent message for contemporary times. In an age of performative outrage and curated generosity, the book insists on anonymity and patient repair. It gently but persistently invites the reader to ask: Where can you serve today? Who can you ease, without calculation?
Interfaith Grace and Contemporary Relevance
Another distinguishing feature of the book is its profound interfaith perspective. Kandhari frames service as the common grammar uniting all major belief systems—Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. He does not seek to flatten their differences but to elevate their convergence on the principle of selfless giving. In his view, service is the universal language that needs no translation.
This makes the book urgently contemporary. We live in a world addicted to opinion and debate yet starved of tangible care. Sewa serves as an ethical corrective, proposing that the true measure of a civilization is not how loudly it argues but how reliably it feeds, shelters, and heals.
Echoing a Punjabi saying, 'chhatiyaan daachi te bhool jao' (do good and forget you did it), the book embodies its own principle. It is not designed to trend but to endure, waiting on shelves for readers ready not merely to agree, but to act. The aftertaste it leaves is not one of sentimental feeling, but of quiet resolve—a resolve to be useful, to be kind without witnesses, and to serve without keeping score.
