Key Points

A notable trend has come to the fore that the youth of Punjab, who has been branded as "idle" and "druggy" in the past, is now turning out to be the saviour of the people.

Young men and women are fulfilling their humanitarian duties by reaching out to marooned villagers with daily utilities and strengthening river embankments to prevent further flooding of fields and human habitations.

As water levels are finally starting to recede after weeks, displaced families have begun returning home to find their houses, crops and livelihoods almost wiped out, even as the Punjab government promised to compensate all victims.

Now rural communities, led by celebrities, influencers, and community and faith leaders, are seen in transformative roles with focus on reconstruction of homes, schools, and health facilities, besides strengthening embankments and drainage to prevent a deluge.

Flooding triggered by heavy monsoon rains and water from swollen rivers since August has inundated large parts of Punjab, the country’s food basket, where over 2 million people have been impacted and five lakh acres of crops destroyed after the release of water from upstream dams, leading to rivers bursting their banks.

Octogenarian Vijay Khanna, a doctor based in Zira, a rural town in Ferozepur, one of the worst ravaged districts, told IANS over phone that youngsters in almost every village have been assigned duties to carry out rehabilitation work in flood-prone areas.

The work ranges from strengthening the river embankments, to setting up flood-preparedness committees to mobilise resources and to clearing silt and muck left behind by the floodwater from houses, streets and fields.

“Every youngster, who has been assigned a duty, has been using his or her tractor-trailer through community networks to do community work,” he said.

Khanna said it’s wrong to project the youth of Punjab as drug addicts. “In fact, they are the ones who first braved the floods, then helped in saving others and now they are helping in the revival of rural livelihoods.”

Set against the backdrop of rampant drug abuse among the youth in Punjab, the crime drama ‘Udta Punjab’ highlighted the state's drug crisis and its dark realities.

In a role reversal from ‘Udta Punjab’, these floods, the worst in living memory, showcased the ‘survival-to-revival’ spirit of the youth that is based on the Sikh belief of 'Sarbat da Bhala', meaning welfare of all.

A volunteer with an international charity told IANS, “It is wrong to project the youth of Punjab as drug addicts. They are addicted to ‘sewa’. Wherever you see building of embankments, it is the local youth that is working.

"Can a drug addict do labour-intensive jobs, only a Punjabi can do that with the strength of the youth who is strong, adamant, and always in Chardi Kala.”

‘Chardi Kala’ means the concept of high spirits in all conditions, including adversities.

Interestingly, the youth are doing more “mitti di seva” for flood relief. “Mitti di seva” means a community effort to contribute earth to rebuild embankments.

BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal wrote on X on Friday, “This sacred land (Punjab) of Gurus carries the true voice of every Punjabi, ‘Punjab must rise together.’”

He demanded a white paper on floods to fix accountability as he believed “it’s a man-made disaster” and alleged that it was government failure.

In Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Fazilka and Tarn Taran districts, global charities along with local youth are taking volunteerism into their own hands and providing relief to villagers for long-term economic stability, beyond two-three months.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann this week launched ‘Mission Chardi Kala’ -- a global fundraising campaign to raise funds for the rehabilitation efforts for flood victims.

Chief Minister Mann said now is the time to move beyond relief and begin rehabilitation as the farmers need to sow their fields again, children need to return to school, and families need to rebuild their homes.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

- IANS