Jalandhar (IP.Singh): A family thrust recently into the spotlight for a controversial airport incident is now making a different kind of news.Sher Singh Mahiwal, brother of the CISF constable who slapped BJP MP and Hindi cinema’s leading lady Kangana Ranaut, is now a local hero, using his large motorised boat (common berra) to
navigate floodwaters and rescue farming equipment and livestock from villages in Punjab — a remarkable turn from public outrage to community service.
while govt and private boats were evacuating people from the flood-hit Mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi, this local farmer stood out for his ingenuity and dedication. Mahiwal, district organising secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor
Sangharsh Committee, has been working tirelessly since the floods began, despite losing his own 10-acre crop.His boat, known as a “berra”, is a large, flat-bottomed vessel powered by a diesel engine and a propeller fashioned
from the mechanical parts of a Tata Sumo vehicle.Mahiwal and his farmer union comrades use the boat to respond to calls for help from marooned farmers. “I am its usual operator, as not everyone can run this complex motor,” he said.
The unique vessel was one of three built by Jaswinder Singh Kala and his nephew Balwinder Singh, who lost 20 and 25 acres of crops, respectively, in the floods. The boats were built with donations, primarily from the late Baba Hari Singh and the family of numberdar Kundan Singh. The other two berras are also being used for community
relief efforts in other locations.Community joins cause
Other community leaders and officials have also launched similar efforts. Sultanpur Lodhi legislator Rana Inder Partap Singh prepared a berra during the 2023 floods, and another was launched recently by environmentalist and Rajya Sabha member Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal.The makers of the makeshift boats, Jaswinder and Balwinder, said they have received requests from Ferozepur
and plan to travel there to help motorize more berras for rescue operations. Their efforts, along with those of others in the community, highlight the ongoing, collaborative efforts to mitigate the devastating impact of the floods.