As floods wreaked havoc in Punjab, forcing thousands to leave their houses, rescue volunteer Jagjit Singh had a life-changing surprise when he reunited with his mother after 35 years.
Singh met his mother Harjeet Kaur in Boharpur village, Patiala on July 20, according to a Times of India report. A devotional singer at the main gurdwara in Qadian, he had gone to Patiala with his NGO, Bhai Ghanayia Ji, for flood rescue work following the devastation caused by the recent monsoon fury that has killed at least 43 people in the state.
When Singh was six months old, his father died. His mother later remarried, and at the age of two, his grandparents took him back to their home. As he grew up, he was told that his parents had died in an accident.
The reunion was orchestrated by one of his aunts, he said, adding that he was told that his maternal grandmother house was also in Patiala. Singh said his aunt vaguely mentioned Boharpur village as a possible location where his maternal grandparents might be living.
Following his aunt’s statement, Singh went to Boharpur and met his maternal grandmother, Preetam Kaur. “I started asking her questions. She became suspicious initially but after she revealed that my mother Harjit had a son from her first marriage, I broke down. I said I was the unlucky son, one who could not see his mother for over three decades,” he was quoted as saying.
When Singh stood face to face with his mother after more than three decades at his maternal grandparents’ house, he could not control his emotions. The mother and son were in tears as soon as they hugged. The video of the emotional video was later posted on Facebook.
Singh, 37, came his wife and their 14-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son.
According to the publication, he learned about his mother’s existence five years ago but had little information as his grandfather and all other relatives who knew about his parents had passed away.
Singh’s paternal grandfather, who raised him, passed away in 2014, shortly after the former cleared his matriculation.
Recalling his childhood, he said found a picture of him with a woman, not realising she was his mother. Whenever he asked his grandfather about his parents, he was told they had died in a car accident. His grandfather, a retired police officer, had shifted from Haryana to Qadian in Punjab two decades ago.
Punjab Floods
Heavy rain in Punjab resulted in 43 fatalities and forced 1,319 people into 159 relief camps, disrupting daily life and flooding residential and agricultural areas. The state government is actively involved in relief efforts, though some places remain inundated, a statement read. The floods have affected 1,473 villages across 19 districts with Patiala being the hardest-hit. The revenue department reported 19 injuries, 27,286 evacuations and 413 rapid response teams deployed to assist in the affected regions. Dry food packets and medical camps have been set up to aid those in need.
