Floods drown Punjab, but its spirit stands tall

Disasters are not new to Punjab. The state has faced many hardships throughout its history, and each time it has stood strong with courage and determination. You don’t need to look back into history to understand this—the way Punjab is battling today’s floods is proof of its resilience.

This flood, however, is unlike anything Punjab has seen before. Major rivers like the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej are overflowing. Small Rivers flowing down from Himachal and Jammu & Kashmir have also inundated many villages. Crops have been ruined, livestock has been lost, and a community known for its self-reliance is now forced to live in relief camps. Yet, the spirit with which the people of Punjab are confronting this crisis is extraordinary.

In most places, people look to the government first during floods. But Punjab didn’t wait. Help began flowing in from all directions almost immediately. Relief work, though, isn’t just about good intentions—it needs proper infrastructure, something usually available only with the government. At first, even in Punjab, ordinary people didn’t have such resources. But as floodwaters rose, they found their own ways.

For example, a steel workshop in Kapurthala quickly started making large boats to carry relief supplies. Today, government boats are visible everywhere in Punjab, but the number of boats managed through private efforts may actually be higher.

Groups like Khalsa Aid International are also on the ground. With global experience in relief work and access to critical equipment, they have become a vital part of Punjab’s fight against this disaster.

Langars are being prepared round the clock in gurdwaras and temples, and food is being delivered to those in need. In places where flood victims still have cooking facilities, all kinds of supplies are being provided. Punjab’s long tradition of helping others with its own resources has once again proved invaluable in this crisis.

Although Muslims form only a microscopic minority in Punjab, except in Malerkotla, their contribution has been remarkable. Relief efforts began from the Jama Masjid in Ludhiana, where Imam Usman Ludhianvi sent several truckloads of aid for the flood-hit areas. In Jalandhar, Naeem Khan, president of the Sunni Shahi Jama Masjid Committee, not only sent supplies but also chose not to celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi on September 5. The funds set aside for the festival were instead used to support flood victims.

Social media is filled with videos showing people risking their lives to rescue stranded animals and provide them with food. From flood-hit Punjab, there isn’t a single report suggesting that victims were left waiting for relief—help has reached everywhere.

A video shared by cricketer and Rajya Sabha member Harbhajan Singh beautifully captures this spirit. In it, volunteers arrive at a flooded village with relief material. Suddenly, a man wades through waist-deep water, carrying a kettle in one hand and glasses in the other—he has brought tea from his home for the relief workers.

Even after losing everything, he has not forgotten Punjab’s tradition of treating guests with warmth. Harbhajan Singh called it “the true spirit of Punjabi culture.”

Army and Border Security Force personnel are also carrying out relief operations in Punjab. But most of the work is still happening without government support. The Punjab government is looking towards the Centre for assistance, while the central government has largely remained silent.

Until Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the floods in his “Mann Ki Baat” programme and later spoke to the Punjab Chief Minister over the phone, no Union minister had said anything about the disaster or even visited the state. Eventually, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan did come to Punjab, but his visit drew more attention for the group of cameramen following him than for any meaningful relief. No concrete announcements were made after his trip.

Meanwhile, most of Punjab’s Kharif crop—vital for feeding the nation—has been destroyed. Farming was already becoming a loss-making occupation, and now it is uncertain whether farmers will even be able to sow the Rabi crop this year. What they need immediately is not just compensation but multiple kinds of support. However, given the way both state and central governments are functioning, there is little assurance that such help will come soon.