Tragedy strikes Ludhiana cousins in Canada, family seeks government help in repatriation of bodies

Mahesh Sharma

Payal, July 29

A peasant family of Malaudh village in Ludhiana faces double whammy as a 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, and the family is worried about the repatriation of the bodies.

The victims were travelling from Moncton City in New Brunswick province when the accident took place. Following the bursting of a tyre, the cab taking them overturned, and probably the victims tried to save their lives by jumping out of the vehicle when it went out of control of the driver who survived the accident.

Residents of the village led by advocate Baljinder Singh have urged the Centre and the Punjab government to come to the rescue of the family and facilitate the transportation of the bodies to India.

Ranjit Singh Somal and his brother Mandeep Singh Somal are cursing the time when they allowed their kids, Navjot Singh Somal (19) and Harman Kaur (23), to go to Canada for a better career. Mandeep Singh’s second son, Rajpreet Singh Somal, is also settled in Canada.

While Harman Kaur had been there for five years, Navjot had recently gone there on April 17.

The Somal brothers are upset that their children were not happy staying away from Punjab, but chose to continue struggling in Canada as according to them, agriculture was no more a remunerative profession in Punjab.

“We used to talk to Navjot and Harman almost every day, and they used to complain about their lifestyle in Canada. Though I had asked my son to come back but one can never predict what the destiny has in store for us,” said Ranjit Singh.

Both the deceased are survived by a sibling each. Meanwhile, Rajpreet Singh is also settled in Canada and has roped in the Punjabi community there to raise funds for the repatriation of the bodies.

Meanwhile, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Amar Singh Boparai claimed to have taken up the issue with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. “Having learnt about the tragic incidents 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 the repatriation of the bodies expedited,” said Boparai.