After losing two kids in Canada, Ludhiana family seeks government help to bring bodies back to India

Mahesh Sharma

Payal, July 29

A peasant family of Malaudh village in Ludhiana district faces double whammy as one young boy and a girl (first cousins), who had gone to Canada as students in search of greener pastures, were killed in a car accident on Saturday. Now, the family is worried about bringing their bodies back to India.

Having learnt about the tragic incident and double whammy suffered by the Somal family, I talked to the Foreign Affairs Minister who assured me that he would coordinate with the authorities in Canada to get the process for bringing back bodies expedited. Dr Amar Singh Boparai, Fatehgarh Sahib MP

As nature would have done it, the duo lost lives while facilitating another friend in her examination, a girl from Samana town in Patiala who also died in the accident.

Following bursting of a tyre, the cab carrying the trio overturned. Probably, the victims had tried to save their lives by jumping out from the vehicle when it went out of control of the driver who survived the accident.

Residents of the village have urged the Union Government and the Punjab Government to come to the rescue of the family and facilitate transportation of the bodies to India. The victims were travelling from Moncton City in New Brunswick Prince when the accident happened.

Ranjit Singh Somal and his brother Mandeep Singh are cursing the time when they allowed their kids Navjot Singh Somal (19) and Harman Kaur Somal (23) to go to Canada in search of greener pastures by starting their professional career as part time employees on study visa. Mandeep Singh’s son Rajpreet Singh Somal is also settled in Canada.

While Harman Kaur had gone to Canada around five years ago, Navjot went there recently on April 17.

Somal brothers are upset that their children were not happy while staying away from Punjab, but chose to continue their struggle in Canada for better future. According to them, agriculture was no more a remunerative profession in Punjab.

“We used to talk to Navjot and Harman almost every day. They used to complain about issues regarding changed lifestyle in Canada. Though I had asked my son to come back if did not feel at home there, we could never predict what the destiny had in store for us,” said Ranjit Singh, while urging the Punjab and Union Governments to help the family bring back bodies of their kids from Canada. Both the deceased are survived by a sibling each.

Meanwhile, Rajpreet Singh Somal, Harman’s brother settled in Canada, has roped in the Punjabi community in Canada to raise funds for sending three bodies to India.

Meanwhile, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh Boparai has claimed to have taken up the issue with Foreign Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. “Having learnt about the tragic incident and double whammy suffered by the Somal family I talked to the minister who assured me that he would coordinate with the authorities in Canada to get the process for bringing back bodies expedited,” said Boparai.