This US city only has one supermarket for 45,000 people. New legislation seeks to fix that as reflected on by Giani Harpreet Singh
Every morning, before dawn breaks over the freight corridor, the cauldrons in our langar kitchen are already simmering. Eighteen-wheelers rattle the highway overpass near our Gurdwara. They carry pallets of grain, produce, and packaged goods across state lines. Logistics corporations calculate freight down to the second and the penny. Yet, right down the road, working families struggle to find fresh vegetables. Reading that an entire city of 45,000 people, like Woonsocket, is left with a solitary grocery store is a stark reminder. Legal clauses intentionally keep competitors from opening doors. This creates a challenging food desert situation.
Our tradition, taught by Guru Nanak, never treats food as mere merchandise. Food is not an instrument of leverage. Guru Nanak’s father once gave him money for a profitable business. Instead, Guru Nanak chose to feed hungry travelers and dervishes. This founded Sacha Sauda, the true bargain. Langar’s principle remains simple yet radical: no human being should face nourishment denial. Everyone, regardless of caste, wealth, or status, must sit together as equals. Intentionally engineering scarcity through commercial deeds and anti-competitive clauses violates Earth’s shared abundance.
Addressing Food Desert Legislation and Community Needs
From my perspective among long-haul drivers and warehouse workers, the concept of a food desert is not just an abstract economic term. It means mothers take two different municipal buses with toddlers. They simply want to buy milk that is not past its expiration date. It means elderly neighbors walk steep inclines in freezing rain. Their neighborhood grocer closed decades ago and was never replaced. Therefore, when big retail chains lock up properties with covenants, they prevent future food vendors from serving the community. They deliberately fence off the well so no one else may drink. This shows the ego’s hoarding instinct, an unchecked greed that forgets our collective interdependence.
Our elders taught us that the Earth is a dharamsal, a sanctuary. Resources here are meant for the welfare of all, Sarbat da Bhala. True leadership and just commerce should build tables, not legal walls. Therefore, the legislative effort in Rhode Island to ban these restrictive real estate covenants is an essential step. It works toward restoring basic civic decency. Law must serve the vulnerable rather than protect monopolistic dominance. This is especially true when 40% of a city’s families are unsure about their next nutritious meal.
Sewa and Sustenance in the Face of Scarcity
However, legislation alone cannot heal a broken moral compass. Society abandons the sacred duty of hospitality and care when it allows basic nutrition to become an extractive financial asset. At Gurdwara Sahib Dasvandh, we see drivers pull off the interstate. They are exhausted and hungry. We hand them warm dal and freshly rolled rotis. We ask for no name, no faith, and nothing about their wallet. We do this not as condescending charity, but as seva. This selfless service recognizes the divine light dwelling within every traveler. Furthermore, this spirit sustains our community, even in times of severe neglect.
The spirit of Chardi Kala, rising above adversity with dignity and faith, sustains the community. Decades ago, blizzards cut off Woonsocket roads. People walked through snowbanks to local produce stalls. They shared whatever was available on their shelves. That collective resilience lives in every neighborhood. Neighbors check on each other and build mutual aid networks. We must demand that our economic structures honor that same dignity. We must ensure no town is starved by legal maneuvers. The bread of life must be accessible to all.
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