Spirit of resilience in flood-hit Punjab

PUNJAB is reeling under the most devastating floods in recent memory. The fury of swollen rivers has left behind scenes of ruin and despair. Every day, newspapers and social media confront us with stories of loss and displacement. Yet amid the countless reports, sometimes a single image speaks louder than a thousand words.

One such image appeared on the back page of The Tribune (September 1). It showed an elderly woman, silver-haired, sitting alone on a cot in her flood-soaked home in Hoshiarpur. The room was half-submerged, her cot damp from the waters rising beneath it. Around her, there was nothing but water, silence and an air of abandonment. It was a photograph that demanded not just attention, but also reflection.

That frail figure seemed to embody a thousand questions. How long had she gone without sleep, unable to lie down on her wet cot? How many meals had she missed because there was no place to cook? How did she keep herself warm without blankets or woollens, when fever or pneumonia could strike her at any moment? And most basic of all: in those waters, where could she even attend to nature’s call? Old age brings with it a frailty that requires constant care, yet here was a woman left to face life-threatening conditions all by herself.

Perhaps once she had a bustling home. Children who grew up and left for distant cities, a husband who may no longer be alive, neighbours now scattered by the floodwaters. The image of her blank stare towards the doorway seemed less about fear and more about waiting; waiting for someone, anyone, to arrive and rescue her.

And yet, strikingly, her face bore no panic. There was no wild cry for help, no gesture of despair. Instead, there was calmness, almost dignity, in her expression. It was as though she had lived through the storms of life, far harsher than this one, and had learnt the art of endurance. Perhaps she had understood that even the darkest hour too eventually passes. Her silence reflected resilience that was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

This woman is a symbol of Punjab’s spirit. The floods have stripped lakhs of people of food and shelter but not of courage. In her composure lies a message that survival is not only about food and shelter, but also about faith and willpower.

As Punjab begins the long road to recovery, that haunting photograph must not fade away from our memories. It should remind us that behind every headline are countless lives at stake. Relief must not stop at short-term aid but our policies must ensure that no one is ever left so vulnerable again.

The woman on the cot is not just a flood victim. She is a mother, a survivor and a quiet symbol of fortitude. In her silence, she speaks for lakhs of Punjabis.