Divine chants, godsend volunteers save the day in Kapurthala

Beyond the sight of floodwaters stretching across the villages near the Baupur embankment, another powerful image captures the spirit of the moment: An endless queue of tractors, all waiting to help.

Following a VVIP visit, the gates to the Baupur bandh are opened, and a flood of vehicles pours onto the embankment, greeted by unified calls of “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal”. Among the tractor-trailers and cars filled with people eager to aid their brethren in Sultanpur Lodhi are burly, elderly men from Jind (Haryana), carrying laths and gamchas; Sikh youth from Partapura in Phillaur ready to extend langar sewa; a teacher from Charkhi Dadri who came by bus to distribute aid; and Liakat Ali with his team from Kartarpur, who arrived with a truckload of milk.

While teams led by Baba Sukha Singh from Sarhali Sahib and Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal have been providing relief since day one, they are joined by hordes of others, including a medical team from US-based Dr Swaiman Singh, volunteers from the Global Sikh Council and Sikh aid groups from Uttarakhand, Rudrapur and beyond. Vehicles stretch for kilometres, with mattresses laid underneath for volunteers to catch brief naps between shifts.

The relief efforts in Guru Nanak’s holy town of Sultanpur Lodhi are marked by such heartfelt camaraderie that it acts as a balm for weary spirits. Every few seconds, the embankment reverberates with the collective cheer of “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal”, as a harvester is loaded onto a truck or a large boat is unloaded.

Kurta and gamcha-clad men from Haryana have brought months’ worth of ration. Former sarpanch Bishan Singh from Ghaso Khurd, Jind, says, “We saw reports of the floods and couldn’t bear to stay away.” They have brought flour, pulses, rice, potatoes, vegetables, milk powder, sugar, tea --everything that might be needed. “We plan to stay here all day,” he adds.

Sandeep Kumar, a teacher from Charkhi Dadri, boarded a bus to Punjab as soon as he could. For two days, he has been distributing solar lights to villagers amid power cuts, so they can at least detect rising waters. “They need help,” Sandeep says. “I am just here to tell them they’re not alone.”

In another corner of the embankment, Liakat Ali and Shafaq Ali stand atop their vehicle, handing out milk packets to everyone. “The devastation is huge and every bit of help is needed,” says Liakat. “We couldn’t stop ourselves from helping our brothers.” Their team had previously provided aid in Dinanagar as well.