CALGARY – Dr Naurang Singh Mangat, Founder of Guru Amar Das Apahaj Ashram, Sarabha, was conferred with “Mewa Singh Lopoke Award” in Calgary, Canada. The award was bestowed on him on August 4, 2019 in the presence of audience of thousands at fair organized in the memory of freedom fighters. The fair (in Punjabi) known as “Gadri Babian da Mela” is organized every year by an NGO founded by Braham Parkash Singh Luddu Editor-in-Chief of Calgary Punjabi newspaper Des Punjab Times. At the Mela (fair), the award is given to an outstanding social worker in the memory of freedom fighter Mewa Singh. He was born in village Lopoke of district Amritsar, and was executed in Vancouver on January 11, 1915.
The two other personalities of Calgary were also honoured at the occasion. Mrs Gurdish Kaur, former teacher from Ludhiana, was honoured with “Bhai Veer Singh Award” for her contributions to Punjabi poetry. Sukhwinder Singh Brar, former officer of IFFCO Ludhiana, was honoured with “MLA Harry Sohal Award” for creating Healthy Lifestyle awareness in Canada and Punjab.
Among others, the award ceremony was graced with presence by Calgary MP Darshan Singh Kang, Alberta State Minister Rajan Sahney, Calgary MLA Davinder Singh Toor, Sant Singh Dhaliwal, Dan Sidhu, Prof Manjit Singh, Jaspal Kang, Jarnail Nijjar and Kumar Sharma.
Mr Dan Sidhu who visited the Ashram recently told the audience that Dr. Naurang Singh Mangat has been looking after homeless-sick in Punjab for the last 14 years. From 2005 to 2009, this former Professor and Scientist of Statistics of PAU Ludhiana, Univ. of Windsor, and Morrison Scientific Inc. Calgary pedaled his bicycle on the roads of Ludhiana and surrounding areas. He saved lives of numerous homeless sick lying on the streets by providing FREE medical help. To provide shelter and follow up treatment to such homeless patients he built three storey building of “Guru Amar Das Apahaj Ashram” near village Sarabha of district Ludhiana.
At present about one hundred twenty homeless male and female patients are living in the Ashram. Many are mentally challenged, disabled, paralyzed; some cannot even recall own name or whereabouts. The food, clothes, medical help, nursing care and other necessities are provided free of cost to all patients. For few years Dr Mangat continued this mission singlehandedly, and now it is being run by a Registered Charitable Trust.
