Mankirat Aulukh, locals join hands to gift land, shelter to flood-hit family

There has been a glimmer of hope for the couple of Sultanpur Lodhi, who was blessed with a baby girl amid floods last month but had lost their house at Rampur Gaura village in the disaster.

Some good Samaritans have bought a piece of land for the couple - Gurnishan Singh and Kuldeep Kaur - at Passan Kadim village, which is now outside the dhussi bundh and hence shall be safe for them as well as their two daughters newborn Jaapleen Kaur and the elder seven-year-old girl in the years to come.

Community, social workers, some religious preachers and singer Mankirat Aulakh had jointly laid the foundation of their new plot on Thursday, assuring the family that they would get their shelter readied at the earliest. Aulakh handed over some cash, estimated to be Rs 2 lakh, to Jaapleen to help her parents in the construction of her new house. Jaapleen was born on September 5.

"I am so happy to meet the parents of this baby. They have not shown a sign of remorse or stress despite so much hardships. They have been in 'Chardi Kala'. I sincerely hope that the floodbaby gives them a permanent respite from such natural disasters in future", said Aulakh, holding the baby in his hands and posing with her.

All those who joined in for laying the house for the couple brick by brick said they would try to make it useworthy in a matter of some weeks so that the family can shift here and then slowly manage the rest of work. The family has some livestocks. Kuldeep Kaur also contributes to the family income by stitching clothes.

Since it was also Aulakh's birthday yesterday, he distributed 21 tractors to the flood-hit villagers. Upon his visit to the village, Aulakh specifically mentioned that he was in no mood to cut the cake. "I cannot celebrate at a time when my buddy Rajvir Jawanda is hospitalised. My father is also unwell and doctors had sounded the alarm this morning that his sugar level was high that he could even lose his eyesight. We were all so worried. By the time I reached this holy town and engaged myself in some good work, the doctors had already declared my dad out of danger. I call it 'guru di apaar bakshish'," Aulakh said with his hands folded.