This work still continues however the problem these highly committed (often unpaid) Sevadars are facing is that they are unable to access resources similar to the non-Sikh elements when providing the children's school fees, uniforms, school bus etc. This made me question whether any "Panthic" western Sikh organisations knew the extent of poverty in Panjab. Bearing this in mind the attraction these so called deras/Radaswamis have on the poor Sikhs of Panjab becomes understandable.

Since my intial visist I have now explored a few more areas in Panjab where the villages are sinking deeper and deeper into poverty. The economic situation in Panjab is creating a perfect breeding ground for anti-sikh elements to flourish. The socioeconomic conditions of these unfortunate people are being exploited to attract them away from Sikhi. I have recently been told that the Gurdaspur area of Panjab has become a focal point for Christian missionaries. I really and honestly don't blame the poor Sikhs for converting from their faith as living in dire poverty is probably close to being in hell. The poor and the underprivileged will follow anybody who fills their children's bellies and offers financial assistance. We have failed our poor and unfortunate brethren in the villages, these are the same people who lived side by side with our forefathers and who were always there in their hour of need. I am sure that if our forefathers could see how we have left our villages to rot they would be full of sorrow!!

I would urge all Sikhs to take action to prevent a great tragedy befalling our future generations. I strongly suggest that the Sangat save a few Pounds/Dollars a month and after a year take the saved money to their villages and do something useful for the poor around them or support existing groups who are carrying out fantastic Seva in Panjab.

As part of the PURE project Khalsa Aid has initially sponsored 60 sikh children in the Goindwal District. We are in the process of sponsoring more in other parts of Panjab. The criteria for these families are

• That the whole family stays away from drugs and alcohol.
• The family follow the Sikh Rehat Marayda.
• The children attend Gurbani classes twice a week.

In times of conflict or social upheavals the religious faith of the person is key to remaining in Chardi Kalan so it's vital that along with providing education we must also provide spiritual guidance.

Khalsa Aid is also sponsoring sporting activities for these children. This will promote healthy living and will reinforce the anti drugs message.

The best way to take on the menace of drugs and deras etc is to counter their drive with a humanitarian mission aimed to reinstate the Sikh faith and prosperity in Panjab.

Ravinder Singh
Khalsa Aid

I ordered a taxi to deliver the wheelchair to Panja Sahib and arranged to pick up Bhai Manjeet Singh and our local contact Tahir Mahmood on way.We got to Panja Sahib at about 3pm and met Amritpal and his parents, Amritpal was very eager and excited to get into the wheelchair, so without keeping this lovely young boy waiting any longer we handed the wheelchair over to his father.I dont think we saw Amritpal around much , he was being taken all around the Gurdwara grounds by the other children.We sat down with his father and asked him about Amritpals disability and if anything could be done medically. I was told that his disability was caused at birth while being delivered, so there was a very slight chance he maybe able to use his legs.

I instructed our wonderful contact Tahir to arrange a specialist doctor/surgeon in Islamabad to thoroughly examine Amritpal and i really hope there is something that can be done.The appointment will be arranged within the next few days.

I met with the milk distributors who have been delivering milk to the children and paid him for the 2 days delivery.I hope to hear from Nestle very soon or we will continue using our existing distributor.

I had also promised Amritpal Singh (9 yr old disabled boy ) a wheelchair the previous day, so after meeting various individuals and finalising the milk order i left for Rawalpindi, affectionately known as "Pindi ". The last time i was in Pindi was in 2005 when Khalsa Aid was carrying out relief work after the earthquake, i had forgotten how polluted it was ! The traffic was awful and our local taxi driver had a temperament of a Pit Bull, i learnt many more Panjabi swear words from him after listening to him spitting poison at other drivers and pedastrians.We managed to locate an area of Pindi which specialised in medical supplies and after viewing a few models we bought a Japanese imported wheelchair.As we were driving back to Islamabad i kept thinking how Amritpals life will change completely by a wheelchair. It was too late to deliver the wheelchair so i went to get something to eat.

I have been having trouble sleeping since my arrival in Pakistan, so i felt absolutely shattered and had a thumping headache.I had to force myself to do anything, I eventually reached Panja Sahib about 1pm, it was another extremely hot day.The kids were happily playing in the pool and the adults were sitting in the shaded areas.I walked carefully around the people sleeping on the floor to pay my respects to the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Today i had come to Panja Sahib to see what we can offer to the refugees from Khalsa Aid. The meeting started well with Sardar Sarung Singh and 5 others in the room and as usual tea was served.I started the meeting by asking Sardar Sarung Singh to state exactly what they wanted from Khalsa Aid and from other NGOs,his answer was simple and quick, CASH ! I looked up at him and asked him who was to receive the cash and where will it be spent, i also wanted to know who was running the camp due to so much confusion .I was told that there was a 18 man committee set up to run the camp and 2 of the committee members ( a professor and a businessman ) had opened a bank account on their names.This bank account already has RS4Lakh deposited in it and this was set up for any major emergencies within the refugee camp. I made it clear to all the men sitting in that room that Khalsa Aid does not give cash but will purchase any items that are needed.

As soon as i stepped out of the room i was met by a local MNA ( Member of National Assembly ) , Haresh Kumar , his the representative for the minorities in Swat.He was dressed in brilliant white, sunglasses and had a big gold Kara on his wrist.I asked him about his role in the relief of the refugees in Panja Sahib.He informed me ( very steadfastly ) that he was " here to serve his people " and invited me to have dinner with him at his lodge at the Parliament. I thanked him and said i was too busy.I asked him about the running of the camp and who really was in charge, he stated that the Pakistani government was paying for the daily food for the refugees. I told Mr Kumar that i have been told Sardar Sarung Singh is in charge and that the Pakistani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee (PGPC ) was feeding the refugees.Mr Kumar was adamant that the PGPC didnt exist and that he had personally got it dissolved.

I had been here 3 days establishing who i was going to deal with and how Khalsa Aid was going get involved in providing relief.I just sat down on the steps and wondered if the Panjabi community will ever sort itself out and walked out of the Gurdwara Sahib.This whole episode has been extremely disappointing and i have decided that i will not work with any of them. HELP !!!!

I got on the phone to my contacts in Kartarpur Sahib and asked Bhai Manjit Singh Ji to send me a Sevadar who Khalsa Aid will pay to conduct its operations at the camp and to follow the progress of families when they go back to their homes.I have decided that Khalsa Aid will offer milk daily to children under 10 and baby milk powder for children under 2.The milk cartons contain nearly 300ml of milk , 2 cartons a day for the kids.I have been told there are about 150 children under 10 in the camp.

On the way back from Panja Sahib we were stopped by the heavily armed special forces just outside Islamabad.I was told to get out from the car by a very serious looking soldier. When i got out the soldiers sitting in the jeep nearby shouted " Let Sardar Ji go ,let him go !! " The soldier gave my passport back and we drove off. There is armed police and special forces everywhere, the atmosphere is very tense.

After spending the morning arranging a local sim card for my mobile phone and purchasing a pair of sandals ( another very hot day ! ) i tried to leave for Panja Sahib but was stopped by an elderly Pakistani gentleman who was visiting Islamabad from Jammu. This kind and elderly man had seen me sitting in the reception area of my hotel and wanted to have a chat with me. Apparently he had written a poem about Guru Nanak Dev Ji and wanted me to hear it.It was wonderful and very touching to hear the verses, we parted company with a warm embrace.

We reached Panja Sahib and after the routine search by the Pakistani security services we entered the Gurdwara Sahib.As i entered the Darbar Sahib to pay my respects to the Guru Granth Sahib Ji i noticed even more men,women and children than yesterday sleeping on the floor , there were also a dozen or so women reading from the Gutkas.I had to be careful as not to step on anyone.

I was told that i had just missed the Prince of Swat who was on his 3rd visit to reassure the refugees and had donated RS 1Lakh .The Prince was accompanied by members of Imran Khans political party who had also donated RS 1LAKH too.I sat with some of the men on the steps and asked them about any updates from their towns.Most of the refugees are from Bunair and the Pakistani government had announced in the afternoon that Bunair has been cleared and people can return home.I asked Sardar Sarung Singh about this and he informed me that 4 men had their throats cut in Bunair only hours after the town was given the all clear by the government and they will not be returning yet.

I noticed a little boy being carried by his father, he was called Amritpal Singh ( 9 yrs old ), due to his disability he was unable to walk.They needed a wheelchair so i said Khalsa Aid will provide him one within the next couple of days.Its still unclear who is running the refugee "camp", Sardar Sarung Singh is from the Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandak Committee and is also a refugee,but there are others who who think they are running the "camp".

I had about 4 hours of sleep and was feeling very tired from the long flight (18 hours travelling) and headed straight to Panja Sahib Gurdwara to meet the Sikh refugees. There were 4 of us in a tiny old car which had a windscreen that was about to shatter anytime. The car had no AC and the temperature outside was 45C degrees, if I opened the windows I felt the intense heat hitting me (and plenty of dust too) and if I kept the window shut it felt like as if I was in an oven. After seeing a guy who had just been killed in an accident on the main road we reached Panja Sahib Gurdwara.

There was a lot of security at the door to the Gurdwara Sahib and we all got searched.I was met by Sardar Sarung Singh who is the representative of the refugees in the Gurdwara Sahib. We went to the Darbar Sahib to pay our respects to the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and noticed that there were at least 30-40 people sleeping on the floor and few people reading from the Gutkas.I was told by Sarung Singh that there were approx 3000 people taking refuge in the Gurdwara Sahib. I walked around and spoke to a few of the people there and heard the same heart breaking tales of sadness and how they all missed their homes.

I was also told that the Sangat was very disillusioned by the lack of any support from the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). The Dehli Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee ( DSGMC ) has so far given RS32000 for the health clinic which is at the Gurdwara Sahib.The DSGMC also met the Senior Pakistani Officials to seek permission to send relief worth RS 2 CRORE , I asked Sarung Singh what this relief consisted of or when it was coming, he told me that he has no idea and Mr Sarna of DSGMC has not contacted him since their visit on the 23rd of May. The refugees are feeling very let down by the mainstream Sikh organisations and they are hoping the global Sikh Sangat will not just forget about them and leave them to "rot ". The Pakistani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee is providing the daily Langar for the refugees at the cost of RS25000 a day.

I have arranged a meeting with Sardar Sarung Singh for tomorrow (30th May) to see how Khalsa Aid can assist them. I have already been informed that the clinic needs to stock up on medicines and I will follow this up with the clinic doctor. I was mobbed by a lot of people on the way out who were worried that we will forget about their plight but when I told them I was returning the next day they were shaking hands and smiling On the way back from the Panja Sahib I was totally knocked out and I slept on the shoulder of my local contact Tahir, I felt embarrassed but he was ok about it. I woke up at a police checkpoint with a policeman all excited and reaching into my window. He kept saying how the Sikhs are a great people and invited me for a cup of tea at the checkpoint. I shook the policeman's hand and thanked him for his kind words.

Please Donate so that Khalsa Aid can continue to offer assistance to the needy.

I was invited to this region of India by the Gurmat Gian College Ludhiana who have recently built a Sikh Temple/Educational Centre near the town of Barhvah (60 KM from the city of Indore) They wanted Khalsa Aid to offer some assistance to these very poor people who have been identified as living below the poverty line by the regional minorities commission. This Temple/Centre has been built to offer education and spiritual guidance to the children in the surrounding villages.

I expected these people to be poor but not heartbreakingly poor; I was deeply moved by their hospitality and kindness in every village. I managed to visit about 10 villages in 2 days and every village had almost total lack of clean drinking water. I was also informed that during the summer months almost all the water pumps stop functioning and if it didn’t rain the wells dry up too. Its late November now and the temperature is still very warm but in the summer months it becomes unbearable and i dread the thought of these families going further and further in the searing heat to fill their water containers.

Khalsa Aid will be looking at the possible solutions to provide clean drinking water in the villages with a view to probably boring deeper down into the rock hard earth to reach good quality drinking water. This will be a costly project but a very rewarding and satisfying one for the donors who wish to offer their help to provide the most basic of needs for a human being, clean drinking water. Please please help Khalsa Aid to help these most downtrodden poor people to have clean water!

Khalsa Aid will also be looking into using a room in the new Temple as a medical facility to provide basic medical care to the poverty stricken villages. There is very little access to medical treatment in these villages so hopefully we will be able to change this. It’s a tough world for most of us but for these poor people it’s been a world of discrimination and suffering. Please donate.

Khalsa Aid has been delivering emergency aid to some of the affected villages but much more needs to be done. I have been to many disasters since the launch of Khalsa Aid in 1999 but I am astounded by the lack of support from the Sikhs in the west for their community in the flooded areas of Panjab! Why is it that the Gurdwaras in the west have not treated the Panjab floods like the other recent disasters and raised money to assist the Panjabi community in their hour of need?

While on an aid distribution mission; whenever, we drove up to the villages, we were mobbed by large numbers of desperate people, most of them asking if we will return to their area again. The destruction caused by the floods was apparent as we drove through the farmlands. We could see whole fields destroyed by the floodwaters; it was very distressing to see the farmers holding their heads in their hands and visibly upset.

I wondered if the Sikhs in the west really knew the plight of these forgotten farmers. I spoke to our contacts in Panjab concerning the grants etc available to the floods affected people. I have been informed that most people have very limited knowledge of their rights, the local officials failed to educate these people, perhaps for self gain.

We spent 7 hours in one village distributing aid, the goods we were providing ran out however the tide of people kept pouring in from the surrounding villages. I still found it very surreal that I was in Panjab delivering aid and not in some poor African country.

We drove off with our empty trucks; all the volunteers were very tired and silent. I could see the sun setting and the darkness rapidly descending fast over the fields. I was going back to the city of Ludhiana and then to London, the thoughts of the farmers trying to gather strength to face another day dawned upon me. I felt so drained and helpless that I broke down, hiding my tears from the others.

I appeal to the Sikh community to assist their brethren either through Khalsa Aid or directly visiting the floods affected areas themselves.

Panjab needs you!!

Ravinder Singh Sidhu
www.khalsaaid.org

This is his Report:

Khalsa Aid has been providing aid to the victims of the floods since the beginning of September and has now moved the relief work to long term rehabilitation of the affected people. Please visit our website www.khalsaaid.org for further information.

The damage caused by the floods to the local farming community is devastating and in places it is extremely distressing to witness the hopelessness of the farmers and their families.

In some places the water has remained in the fields and the farmhouses appear to be floating. I could not believe that there was a boat being used as a means of transport in the place where once stood crops!! It was a big shock and seemed like a scene from the Tsunami hit islands. The people are living with the ever present danger of the river embankments breaking again and their lands becoming flooded again.

I heard many tales of hardship and despair during my visit to the flooded areas. The economic outlook of these people looks grim and need of financial assistance to fight off the fast approaching onset of poverty is vital. It is a daunting task but with the generous assistance of the global Sikh Sangat I am sure we can stand by our fellow Panjabi brethren in their time of need.

I am disappointed that the most recent disasters have been treated with rapid reaction (which is fantastic!) by the Sikh community but the Panjab Floods have had hardly any Gurdwaras offer funds to assist the Panjabi farmers who were already suffering economically before the floods.

I firmly believe that if positive action is not taken by the GurSikh community to assist these people right now then these floods affected areas will fall into the hands of the anti- Sikh activities (drugs, alcohol abuse etc) in the very near future. The people who are suffering wont stand by and see their children starve or suffer, they will turn to anyone (non-Sikh groups etc) who will offer them a helping hand. If you love Panjab and care about the future of our next generation then its time to act NOW!!

If anybody wishes to come to Panjab and wants to offer financial assistance to the people due to not trusting Khalsa Aid or other groups, I will be very happy to assist them.

Ravinder Singh

www.khalsaaid.org