For this volunteer, ‘sewa’ is supreme

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, January 18

Five years ago, Amarpreet Singh joined Khalsa Aid, an international NGO set up with an aim to provide humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world. At present, he is the managing director of the Asia-Pacific zone. Over the years, he has closely witnessed some of the worst crises faced by humanity.

Along with his strong-willed group of volunteers, he has worked for Rohingyas, provided water to a parched community in Latur and resurrected schools in Kerala. During the opening of Khalsa Aid’s office here, third in India, Amarpreet, who has led and coordinated relief operations in Kerala, Bangladesh, Iraq, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Uttarakhand and other areas, believes that ‘sewa’ is supreme. He said, “There is a simple formula if you have the will, things will work out.”

Excerpts from the interview

What are your plans for Punjab?

Most of the people know Khalsa Aid as an organisation working for the disaster-hit areas. But, we are running schools, tuitions, organising weddings and funding surgeries for the poor in Punjab. Sixty per cent of the Khalsa Aid budget is reserved for the state. There is another reason for reaching out to the Doaba region. Scores of NRIs are willing to help, but they are not sure that their money will be used properly. We want to bridge the gap. We have already five tuition centres and two schools in the state. Now, we plan to expand them further.

How challenging was your working during the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh?

In 2017, two of us had gone to Bangaldesh just to see the situation. Anticipating that 1.5 lakh refugees were stranded on the border, we found 5 lakh people, including pregnant women and children, who walked for 10 days after their villages were gutted. We heard stories how people were locked inside their houses, which were set on fire. Since we were the first and only two Indians to reach the border, there was immense political pressure and a Twitter campaign branded us terrorists. We sought media support and broadcast burning villages. People were hungry and without clothes. We did not give up even after our operations were shut down. Eventually, the Bangladesh army took us to two camps where 18,000 to 20,000 people are staying. We are also setting up schools for refugees’ children. Things are yet to be improved fundamentally - There are camps inundated with knee-deep water. A lot of work is yet to be done.

How do you take water and food to those places where life is an ordeal?

It is about will. In Latur with no water for miles and a train from Delhi delivering it, we arranged thousands of litres of water for a month. We purchased water at double prices from far areas and brought it there. In Bangladesh, we went empty handed and sourced utensils to groceries from scratch. Two of our volunteers drove eight to 10 hours to purchase things and came back to set up a camp with the help of a Muslim family. On the first day, we partook of langar to 25,000 people. ‘Sawa lakh se ek laraun’ is proven in such situations. I have seen it happen and it is in our roots.

What was the most challenging situation?

One such situation was delivering a body to a family and seeing it relieved during floods in Kashmir. We are not professionals, but we surprise ourselves with our own courage when someone sees hopes in us. Volunteers waded through 20-foot water scurrying for bodies. We were their only hope and we had to deliver.