New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan’s Meer Foundation, a non-profit organisation known for helping acid attack victims, has joined hands with an Amritsar-based NGO, Voice of Amritsar, in carrying out flood relief work in the district.
“They reached out to us last week in order to provide ground-level help to flood victims,” Raja Iqbal Singh, Secretary, Voice of Amritsar (VOA), told ThePrint.
“We gave them our blueprint for two villages, and they came on board to adopt them, and provide the essentials like beds and mattresses to roughly 500 families.”
The 59-year-old, who visited the affected villages on Wednesday, said that the destruction makes the heart sink. The water has now receded a lot, so people can assess their loss.
“All the cattle have been swept away in the floodwaters. People have also lost their lives, but only time will reveal the full extent of the damage. The rice crop has been completely destroyed, and farmers are now looking for support to sow the next one,” he said.
Amid this devastation, a gesture of support from Shah Rukh means a great deal to the affected community.
“It’s a very generous act on his part. As a grassroots-level NGO with limited resources, we’re doing everything we can to support the flood victims,” Singh added.
The VOA has also received assistance from Care Foundation, one of Kolkata’s oldest non-profit organisations. Additionally, a team of doctors from AIIMS is on the ground, working alongside VOA volunteers to provide medical aid in the Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts.
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Along with Shah Rukh and Diljit Dosanjh, several singers and actors have stepped forward to support flood victims. The list includes Punjabi singers such as Satinder Sartaaj, Jasbir Jassi, Gippy Grewal, Karan Aujla, and Ranjit Bawa. Actors Sonam Bajwa, Ammy Virk, Randeep Hooda, Kapil Sharma, and Sonu Sood have also extended help.
Recently, Salman Khan addressed the devastating floods in the ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’ episode of Bigg Boss 19 on Sunday, urging the audience to come forward and support those affected. His Being Human Foundation also sent five rescue boats to aid relief operations.
“These are the same farmers who grow food for us, and today, they don’t even have food for themselves or a roof over their heads,” he said.
Khan reminded the contestants of the ongoing crisis in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, adding that Punjab has now been hit hard as well. He requested the contestants to be mindful and avoid wasting food. He was referring to an incident in the Bigg Boss house where contestant Farhana Bhat dropped a spoonful of poha and didn’t bother to pick it up.
“The Punjabi community is known for its spirit of ‘Langar’, social service, and selflessness. For over a hundred years, they have ensured that no one goes hungry from their gatherings. And now that they are in need, it is our duty to stand by them,” he added.
“All the singers from Punjab, despite being competitors, have come together and contributed generously. We are also doing our bit from here.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)