A ‘port’ in Velachery

When the monsoon is on, Manjit Singh would want to stay put at his home turf — Guru Nanak College — and lead the charge, whenever necessary, against an impersonal but formidable foe

Over the years, a tall, turbaned figure has stood in stark relief against monsoon clouds looming over Velachery. With a posse of Home Guards, Manjit Singh has led the charge against fear, temporary homelessness and hunger resulting from cyclonic storms. On October 15, Manjit, Assistant Commandant General, Home Guards, Chennai was prepped for a similar challenge. His team was on the qui vive, rescue equipment and relief material massed up. The perceived threat scurrying away like cirrus clouds, the band of volunteers relaxed their vigil a couple of days later.

If another weather warning shows up on the horizon, they would regroup in no time. They know their base – Guru Nanak College. They know the people at risk – a mental flood map of Velachery, revised over the years, leading them to the right doors. They know they can reach them faster than before – thanks to a digital real-time flood-mapping system now in their arsenal.

Given his place in the Home Guards hierarchy, Manjit Singh’s range of operations is bound to be wide extending far beyond home turf, Velachery. But during monsoon, he thinks hyperlocal, staying put in Velachery, parts of which are a trough accumulating water. As general secretary and correspondent of Guru Nanak College, he has been able to offer a ready base for Home Guards’ rescue and relief team during monsoonal events — not to mention, food and shelter to marooned residents. In 2015, for three days on the trot, Guru Nanak College bore the overtones of a banquet hall sans the merry faces.

The college had become a port in the storm, sheltering thousands of people. The highlight was 50,000 food packets being placed in desperate hands in those three days. It was an eye-opener for Manjit and his team. “We learned that rescue is just one part of the mission,” recalls Manjit, who turns 61 in November and four years shy of retirement from Home Guards.

Guru Nanak College is known for its Langar kitchen offering free meals for the benefit of underprivileged students. The circumstances would have been different, but not the spirit behind the three-day initiative.

IPS officer A.K. Viswanathan, at that point of time serving as ADGP Home Guards – Tamil Nadu, had softly breathed a request in Manjit’s ear, and the next moment, this “banquet hall” was up and running. The food packets were not entirely just for those sheltering in the college; a good number of them were wheeled to hunger spots, transported in government vehicles. Medical support was also offered to those rescued from the homes and sheltered in the college. (Part of this pattern was repeated during the 2021 floods)

A.K. Viswanathan and Manjit’s service during this period would receive wider recognition. In 2018, Manjit received a President’s Medal for his relief work in the 2015 floods.