Religious barriers blur as relief for flood-affected pours in

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, July 19

Floods seem to have broken the religious barriers in Lohian as people from the Muslim community have been reaching out to affected villagers in large numbers and are extending a helping hand by providing food, rations, drinking water and other items of need.

Not just from Punjab, Muslims have been coming from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan to Lohian since last week, indicating bonds of brotherhood with residents of Mandala, Gidderpindi and Null villages.

They have been distributing rations, water and clothes among children and women. Shahrukh from Phephan village in Hanumangarh, who is associated with the Muslim Yuva Samiti, Phephan, said they got to know about the tragedy through social media. “We have seen the Sikh community coming out to help everyone; we also want to propagate the message of brotherhood,” he said. Shahrukh said another group would come here tomorrow to extend help.

Sohan Lal, a teacher at a government school at Mandala in Lohian, said he was amazed to see how humanity had won during the floods. “This seems surreal. I saw their vehicles stop at every point in the village asking people if they needed anything,” he said.

Abdul Sattar, who had come from Nakodar, said Muslims from Rajasthan and Haryana had sent relief items for the flood-hit here.