In flood-hit Sultanpur Lodhi, 14-year-old carries the weight of tragedies

As the crowd lines up at a religious place in Baupur Jadid village of Sultanpur Lodhi, seeking food and support from NGOs and Good Samaritans, a young boy stands still amidst the commotion. Fourteen-year-old Gurjot Singh barely moves, his eyes fixed on the ground. It’s only when his relative, the family's elder Virsa Singh (65), gently nudges him that he quietly steps forward to collect a ration kit.

Behind his silent demeanour lies a story soaked in sorrow. A breach in a temporary bundh in Bhaini Bahadur village caused by rising waters of the Beas led to flooding of several villages including Gurjot's village Baupur Jadid on August 11. Even if the water has receded, the struggle remains.

A year ago, when Gurjot was just 13, his father Gurjant Singh — a small farmer —allegedly died by suicide. Unable to bear the loss of paddy crop on his 4-acre field during the devastating 2023 floods, Gurjant consumed sulphas. He had tried everything — farming, and later, daily wage labour — but the pressure proved too much.

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“Gurjant would often share with me his sorrow and how he was trying to manage. He had taken a loan of Rs 4 lakh,” recalls Paramjit Singh, a farmer leader from the village. “I kept assuring him things would get better. But, he kept sinking deeper into depression.”

Since his father’s death, Gurjot has withdrawn into a shell. The once-cheerful teenager is now somber. He speaks slowly and rarely. Yet, he continues to shoulder responsibilities far beyond his age.

A student of Class 11 in a government school, Gurjot is pursuing arts. He still finds some solace in playing volleyball at school sometimes. His dream? To become a police officer — or land any government job — so he can ensure security for his family and lift his mother and sister out of the misery they now live in.

After his father’s death, Gurjot began working with his paternal uncle in the fields, determined to restore what little they had left. But this year, tragedy struck again.

The same fields that once held the promise of a better future are once again submerged — this time due to flooding from the overflowing Beas river. Even their two-room house has developed cracks. A month ago, the family had to be evacuated by boat. Now, they live in the home of a distant relative.

Sultanpur Lodhi SDM Alka Kalia told The Tribune that a compensation of Rs 40,000 will be provided to those whose houses have been partially damaged. "A technical team from the Public Works Department will visit homes to verify the damage, after which residents will receive compensation," the official said.

Gurjot’s mother, Harpreet Kaur, too, is crumbling under the weight of despair. “Even I don’t know how I’m surviving anymore. I’m taking medicine for depression. This year, the paddy was sown on 2 acres, but everything is finished,” she tells The Tribune, her voice trembling.

She now stays with her 16-year-old daughter at a relative’s house. Her daughter dreams of preparing for IELTS and moving abroad — not for personal comfort, but to support her shattered family.

“We had taken out our belongings earlier and kept them at a relative’s place. But now, the only thing that matters to me are my children. They are the reason I’m still alive,” says Harpreet, trying to hold back tears. "Both of them have changed, they talk less, laugh less."

Every day, Gurjot walks through knee-deep water with a relative to check on what’s left of his home — a painful routine for a boy who has seen too much, too soon.