Brij Bedi mourned as citizens pledge fervent support to his cause

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, February 2

Members of Citizen’s Forum Vidya Mandir and close friends of late Brij Bedi gathered for a prayer meet at Bhavan SL School. Bedi passed away on Sunday after a prolonged illness. Kiran Bedi, former IPS officer and wife of Brij Bedi, addressed a gathering of 500 people, including the staff and family members of the children studying at Citizen Forum Vidya Mandir at Maqboolpura. She encouraged volunteers to pledge their support in sustaining the legacy of Brij Bedi by contributing generously towards the school that educates children of drug-abuse victims.

“The best possible tributes we can pay to Brij is by continued support to his legacy at Citizen’s Forum and fill the void he left. We should, as a community and individuals, support the education of these children and share his vision,” said Kiran Bedi. The current president of Citizen Forum Vidya Mandir, Ashok Sethi, too, urged more people to offer services to support the school. “The school has been running solely on volunteer support an funds generated by Brij Bedi through his network of friends and family. After him, it will become our responsibility to continue that support. Almost 100 people have signed up as volunteers for sponsoring the academics and other facilities being provided by the school.” Dr Kuldip Sing from National University Singapore, who has been imparting training to the students at the school, also pledged staff and curriculum planning support along with Springdales School.

Meanwhile, several NGOs associated with Brij Bedi’s work and cause, also shared their condolences over his loss. Ajit Singh, a retired educator popularly called masterji, and a trustee of the Citizen Forum Vidya Mandir, said Bedi’s work could never be replaced. “It’s indeed a great loss to the city and its well wishers, citizens who felt the need to speak out against any social or civic issues. He was an honest man and an important member of society. The school will be closed for a day to mourn his loss.” Members of Voice of Amritsar, too, shared the grief and loss by calling him one of their biggest motivators.