Why was a simple bundle of powdered sugar so important to Kashiram that he was willing to risk his life for it?

The bundle was incredibly dear to Kashiram not for any monetary value, but for a spiritual one. The source material in Chapter 0 clarifies that the bundle contained only powdered sugar. Kashiram had started carrying sugar with him ever since a saint named Janakidas Baba advised him to make a practice of feeding sugar to ants. This act of compassion and service was so important to him that the bundle itself became precious. Therefore, when the thieves tried to seize it, thinking it held treasure, Kashiram decided that 'whatever happened, he would not let it go,' leading him to fight back with life-threatening consequences.