Flooded Fields, Unbroken Spirit: Punjab’s Story of Courage
- SikhsForIndia
- Sep 9
- 3 min read
It begins with a boat cutting across the floodwaters in Gurdaspur. On board are wide-eyed children, some as young as ten, rescued from their residential school where they had been trapped for two days. Behind them, Indian Army jawans steady the boat, soaked to the bone but unflinching in their duty. On the banks, mothers weep in relief, clasping the soldiers’ hands, whispering “Waheguru” under their breath.
This is Punjab in the flood of 2025: devastated but not defeated.
The mighty rivers that have long nourished Punjab have, this year, turned ferocious. In one of the worst floods in decades, water has breached embankments and submerged fields, homes, and villages. Yet even as nature unleashed its fury, Punjab has shown the world once again that its spirit cannot be broken.
Over 1,400 villages have been affected, with lakhs of acres of farmland damaged and dozens of lives tragically lost. Families have been displaced, and crops that would have fed the nation have been washed away. Yet amid the destruction, Punjab’s resilience shines brighter than the waters that threaten to drown it.
For the Sikh farmer, the relationship with the land is sacred. When floodwaters swallowed fields, the pain was deep—but so too was the determination to reclaim, to sow again, and to rebuild stronger.
India’s Uniformed Guardians
The first to arrive were India’s guardians in uniform.
In Gurdaspur, the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) evacuated over 400 students and staff from a marooned school.
In Amritsar’s border villages, soldiers rescued four youths who had clung to a tree for hours, barely a breath away from being swept across into Pakistan.
In Ferozepur, BSF jawans ferried villagers to safety, carrying the elderly on their shoulders and guiding livestock through chest-high waters.
In total, over 6,600 people have been rescued across Punjab.
These are not just statistics; they are lifelines.
For every boat that reached a stranded family, for every helicopter that dropped food packets, for every soldier who waded waist-deep in floodwaters, Punjab’s people found reassurance that they were not alone.
Seva Amid Sorrow
If the Army brought muscle, Punjab brought soul. Gurudwaras became relief shelters overnight, their langars feeding thousands daily. Volunteers organized makeshift rescue efforts with tractors and ropes. In village after village, the Sikh spirit of seva (selfless service) stood firm, reminding the world that even in hardship, Punjab shares before it asks.
In one flooded hamlet near Amritsar, villagers recalled how the local gurudwara not only fed them but sheltered their cattle. “Our homes are gone,” one farmer said, “but our sangat (community) has saved our spirit.”
Leadership and Responsibility
The Punjab government has announced ₹20,000 per acre compensation for farmers and rolled out the “Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret” policy, giving farmers the right to reclaim sand deposited on their fields. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on September 9, following an aerial survey, carried the message that Punjab’s pain is India’s pain.
Relief camps, medical teams, and sanitation drives are being scaled up to prevent post-flood disease outbreaks. The call for larger central support is loud, but so too is the recognition that the foundations of recovery have been laid.
The Sikh Spirit: Resilience Amid Adversity
When floodwaters rose, Sikh volunteers waded in. When homes were lost, langars fed the hungry. When despair loomed, kirtan soothed the spirit. This is Punjab’s way of transforming adversity into an opportunity for courage and compassion.
The Nishan Sahib fluttering above flooded gurudwaras has become a symbol: even when the waters rise, Punjab’s pride and dignity rise higher.
A Message for the Nation
This tragedy has shown the world that Punjab is not a victim—it is a warrior. And when Punjab fights, India fights alongside her.
The flood is a reminder of vulnerability, but also of unity. It is a test of infrastructure, but more so a testament to resilience. Punjab does not bow to challenges—it meets them head-on, with faith, grit, and collective will.
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