FEROZEPUR: "We have seen tougher times earlier too and this will pass, " remarked an octogenarian villager, whose field and farmhouse have been submerged in waist-deep water of the swollen Sutlej river, on Monday.
Octogenarian Gurdial Singh, who braved shelling from Pakistan in India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, told IANS that the spirit of 'Chardi Kala' is still alive and visible in everyone -- from elderly to young children -- despite the rainfall-induced floods that forced many villagers located only a few kilometres from the International Border in Punjab's Ferozepur district to abandon their homes.
'Chardi Kala' means the concept of high spirits in all conditions, including adversities.
With prayers on lips, his wife Nachattar Kaur remarked: "May waheguru (God) bring safety, peace and Chardi Kala to every household."
With Punjab grappling with the worst floods in 37 years and the situation devastating with all three major rivers have overflowed, putting millions of lives at risk as families have lost homes, hard earned crops and some have lost even their loved ones, Sikh volunteers, largely flood-hit villagers, are on the ground to help Central and state agencies with rescue and recovery.
Braving gushing waters, the villagers, comprising children and women, are making active participation in building and maintaining river bunds by placing soil bags, distributing medical kits and fodder by riding on boats from village to village across worst-affected districts.
"We are known globally for reaching out to assist those affected by the devastating floods and earthquakes. In this hour of crisis, we will survive owing to our high spirits, " remarked another villager Gurdial Singh in Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.
Dera Baba Nanak is a deeply sacred Sikh pilgrimage site by the Ravi river and it is named after Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, who spent his last years in the nearby Kartarpur, now in Pakistan.
Gurdial Singh believed when floods submerged villages their survival was the human strength.
"Instead of collapsing in despair, we cooked 'langar' (community food) in waist-deep water, rescued livestock, carried calves on our shoulders and moved families with bare essential items to safety on tractors. But in the three hours of crisis, we do regular "kirtan to keep Chardi Kala alive, " he added.
Another villager Avtar Singh added, "When everything seems to be falling apart, it is our hope to survive that was floating."
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Sunday, led an 'ardas' (prayer) at the Kartarpur Corridor entrance for flood-affected people in both Indian and Pakistani states of Punjab.
The gathering urged divine intervention to stop the rain and protect lives and livestock.