Punjab: Kargil martyr’s mother is MGNREGA worker

MANSA: Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations have no meaning for Naik Nirmal Singh’s mother Jagir Kaur (80) whose world fell apart when she lost her son 21 years ago.
She lost her husband and another son soon after. Nirmal’s widow remarried and Jagir was left with three sons, all of whom have severed all ties with her.
Today, Jagir works as a labourer under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Kusla village, Mansa district. The family had got almost all facilities allowed to martyrs’ families after the Kargil conflict but, allegedly due to a dispute in the family, Jagir was left to fend for herself.
Kusla sarpanch Manjit Singh and social activist R D S Sidhu said the village panchayat and an NGO have been supporting her by providing wages from MGNREGS and whatever else they could. Her son Nirmal was in the 15 Sikh Light Infantry and died fighting for the country, they said.
Yamunanagar-based Nirvair Khalsa Aid activists started building a small dwelling unit for Jasbir on Monday. "When we heard about her, we thought of supporting her. We will construct a room, kitchen and toilet for her, so that she can live comfortably. This is the least we can do for a martyr’s mother," said Narvair Khalsa Aid vice-president Harpreet Singh.