Healing the wounds
By Manjit Singh Manauli and J.S. Bedi

THE super cyclone which hit Orissa recently left nearly 8,000 people as dead. With a wind speed of 300 km per hour, the cyclone rocked as many as 13 districts of the state, leaving 300 villages totally destroyed. Jagat Singh Pur was the worst affected district where hundreds of people, including women and children died and the crop and the livestock was reduced to a naught.

It was indeed sad to note that even after one month the district of Jagat Singh Pur had not received proper attention due to lapses on the part of the administration.

The only hope and help was held out by a socio-religious organisation of Punjab led by Sant Man Singh of Pehowa. The Sikh youths were seen in various parts of the district, distributing blankets, clothes, and medicines, besides arranging langars for the people who were battling for survival.

The Sikhs coming to the rescue of the hapless, shelterless and foodless people of this district once again stands testimony to the fact that ‘Sikhism stands for serving the suffering humanity’.

According to the eye-witness accounts, the areas included in the district of Jagat Singh Pur tell a tragic tale. The Arasma block has 30 villages but no relief had reached it till about a month ago. Moved by the socio-economic tragedy of the people of this block, Sant Man Singh Pehowa went from Punjab to do the maximum possible for the victims of the cyclone.

In the village of Andheri, which is at a distance of 50 km from Jagat Singh Pur, floods caused a great havoc. Of the total population of 500, only a few survived. The survivors included 20 children. Here, the unattended dead bodies of men, women and children were cremated by Sant Man Singh Ji. In the Sangha village only 20 people could survive. Similar is the situation in the Jirileo village.

On leaving the Jatiwari village, we found that Sant Man Singh Pehowa and his disciples were distributing clothes, medicines and eatables, besides giving cash to the poor.

Sadly, however, assistance in cash and kind, meant for the victims of the calamity did not reach its destination. The eatables, medicines, and other commodities hoarded in the Kalinga stadium still remain to be distributed among the victims. For the negligence in the performance of the duties, a number of officers and officials of the Government of Orissa have been placed under suspension. In such circumstances, voluntary social service organisations of the country should come forward to do the best possible on the spot in tune with what the organisation of Sant Man Singh Pehowa is doing.