Abandoned by kin, mentally challenged find refuge at Nangal couple's shelter

In a moving tale of compassion, more than 100 mentally challenged individuals — abandoned by their families and natives of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim — have found refuge at a shelter home in Nangal, a quiet town in Ropar district.

The shelter is not a government facility but a modest ashram run by a septuagenarian couple — Ashok and Preeti Sachdeva.

Many of these individuals were left to fend for themselves, put on trains by their families and effectively abandoned. For them, Nangal has become an unexpected yet life-changing destination thanks to the Sachdevas.

Saldev from Sikkim, who lives peacefully at the ashram, said, “I lost my parents when I was a child and couldn’t complete my education. I was financially and physically broken. I boarded a train from Bengal and ended up in Nangal. I was wandering on the streets when the Sachdevas brought me to the ashram. They have given me a second chance in life.”

Balwinder Singh, hailing from Pato Hari Singh village in Moga district, said, “Due to mental health issues, my family abandoned me outside Gurdwara Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib. The Sachdevas found me and brought me here.”

Explaining his decision to start the ashram, Ashok Sachdeva said many mentally challenged individuals are deserted by families who find it difficult to provide care to them. “In several cases, they are simply put on trains and left to their fate. As Nangal is a washing station for trains heading towards Himachal, many such persons reach here. When we find them roaming the streets, we bring them to the ashram,” he said.

Sachdeva's journey began in 2001 when he encountered a mentally challenged man wandering on the streets of Nangal. “I brought him to my house and looked after him until he passed away. The blessings I received from him inspired me to do more,” he said.

In 2009, he set up the Jinda and Besahara Jeev Charitable Society. With his savings and community support, he purchased three kanals of land and built a facility dedicated to caring for the destitute. Today, the ashram houses mentally challenged and visually impaired individuals.

Despite the enormous social impact of their work, the Sachdevas have received little government support. “Apart from a one-time grant of Rs 14 lakh and an ambulance from Indian Oil Corporation, we have not received any official assistance. Most of our funding comes from local donors and our own resources,” Sachdeva said.

Yet, amid the challenges, the couple remains undeterred. “We are not doing this for recognition or reward. Knowing we have given dignity and care to those discarded by society is the greatest peace one can ask for,” said Sachdeva.