Jeev Milka Singh along with his family members pays tribute to his parents on the first anniversary of their death, at a hotel in Chandigarh on Sunday. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)A prayer meet and remembrance meeting was conducted by the Milkha family on the occasion of the first barsi of Flying Sikh Milkha Singh and former Indian volleyball captain Nirmal Milkha Singh in Chandigarh on Sunday. The Milkha couple, who breathed their last within one week of each other on June 13 and June 18 respectively last year due to Covid-19, were remembered by family — son Jeev Milkha Singh, daughters Dr Mona Singh, Sonia Sanwalka and daughter-in-law Kudrat Milkha Singh apart from grandson Harjai Milkha Singh — and friends during a ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
The family had organised Sukhmani Sahib path at their Sector 8 residence on Saturday.
“It is very difficult and emotional to talk about my parents. We still feel the void and cannot believe that they are not there with us. But I would like to share an experience with you which I realise now. With age and experience, we were blessed that we were born in the house where we were given the right guidance and my parents taught us to always be humble. One day, I asked dad while my mother was present, ‘Dad, why you are so firm and mom is so gentle?’ He said, ‘Mawan thandian chhawan, Peo tatte gheo (mothers are like cold breeze while fathers are like hot ghee)’. We cherished each moment with our parents and their memories will always motivate us,” said 19-time international golfer Jeev Milkha Singh.
While Flying Sikh Milkha Singh, who became India’s first individual champion in Commonwealth Games and finished fourth in 1960 Rome Olympics, had contracted Covid-19 in May last year, his wife and former Indian volleyball captain Nirmal Milkha Singh too contracted the virus days after Milkha tested positive for Covid-19. Nirmal breathed her last on June 13 in a Mohali hospital, followed by Mikha’s demise at PGIMER on June 18. The couple’s eldest daughter Dr Mona Singh, who had flown down from the USA last year to take care of her parents, was present in the ceremony along with her younger sister Sonia Sanwalka. The couple’s third daughter Aleeza Grover could not attend the ceremony due to some other family commitments.
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“One thing which both my parents taught us was the importance of stability and balance in their lives. We as kids would often spend time with them observing them portraying different roles as a player, administrator and father and mother to us. And they would always tell us to be balanced and stable in our approach to life. This remains the biggest gift to each one of us from our parents and will always remain with us in our lifetime. Their loss remains the biggest loss to the whole Milkha family. It was unfortunate that we lost both of them to Covid-19 but they led a content life and guided us throughout,” Dr Mona Singh told The Indian Express.
Among those who paid their tributes were BJP leader Sanjay Tandon, PGTI president Uttam Singh Mundy, golfer Harmeet Kahlon apart from some young golfers and athletes. “Milkha sir was special to the golfing community too and he would always encourage young golfers. Whenever PGTI hosted an event at Chandigarh, Milkha sir made sure that he was there to compete in the Pro-Am and to cheer the professional golfers,” said Mundy.
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