{"id":7964,"date":"2025-08-02T15:55:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T10:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.barusahib.org\/?p=7964"},"modified":"2025-12-02T12:28:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T06:58:11","slug":"back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to Roots &#8211; How One Man Planted Hope in Punjab"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/#From_UK_to_Punjab_%E2%80%93_A_Heart_That_Never_Left_Home\" >From UK to Punjab &#8211; A Heart That Never Left Home<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/#Land_of_Love_Not_Just_Property\" >Land of Love, Not Just Property<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/#A_Gift_That_Built_Futures\" >A Gift That Built Futures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/#A_Legacy_Rooted_in_Values\" >A Legacy Rooted in Values<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/#An_Inspiration_for_Serving_Punjab_Even_From_Afar\" >An Inspiration for Serving Punjab, Even From Afar<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/back-to-roots-how-one-man-planted-hope-in-punjab\/#Share_the_story\" >Share the story<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_UK_to_Punjab_%E2%80%93_A_Heart_That_Never_Left_Home\"><\/span>From UK to Punjab &#8211; A Heart That Never Left Home<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a world driven by material inheritance, <strong>Sardar Sukhdev Singh Ji,<\/strong> an <strong>NRI from Coventry, UK,<\/strong> chose legacy over land. Though miles away from the dusty fields of Punjab, his soul remained rooted in his birthplace.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Land_of_Love_Not_Just_Property\"><\/span>Land of Love, Not Just Property<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After decades of labor abroad, Sukhdev Singh Ji and his family were faced with a familiar dilemma\u2014what to do with ancestral land in Punjab? For many, land is passed down or sold. For him, it was a mission of transformation.<\/p>\n<p><em>He didn\u2019t just see land.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>He saw opportunity.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>He saw school buildings.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>He saw a better tomorrow for rural children.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Gift_That_Built_Futures\"><\/span>A Gift That Built Futures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Driven by humility and service, Sukhdev Singh Ji donated his ancestral land for educational development\u2014a selfless act that sparked significant change through <strong>The Kalgidhar Trust\u2019s Akal Academies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how his generosity made an impact:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Akal Academy Boparai Kalan:<\/strong> 2 new classroom spans + bathrooms<\/li>\n<li><strong>Akal Academy Khichipur:<\/strong> 2 classroom spans + corridor<\/li>\n<li><strong>Akal Academy Kakra Kalan:<\/strong> 4 new classroom spans<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bilga, Dhanal Kalan &amp; Ghugg:<\/strong> Construction of ramps for accessibility<\/li>\n<li><strong>Akal Academy Ghugg:<\/strong> Parapet, tiled terrace, and mumty (roof cover)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each of these projects now serves as a beacon of hope, helping hundreds of rural students access quality education.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Legacy_Rooted_in_Values\"><\/span>A Legacy Rooted in Values<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>These are not just school buildings.<br \/>\nThey are symbols of compassion, spaces of learning, and safe sanctuaries for children with dreams that once had no direction.<\/p>\n<p>In a time when many forget their roots, Sukhdev Singh Ji chose to water his\u2014ensuring they grow into trees of knowledge and empowerment for the next generation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_Inspiration_for_Serving_Punjab_Even_From_Afar\"><\/span>An Inspiration for Serving Punjab, Even From Afar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>His story reminds us:\u00a0<strong>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be in Punjab to serve Punjab. You just have to carry it in your heart.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We Welcome all who read this to come forward with their own ways of strengthening your roota, and sharing the story with others who can help make a difference.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Share_the_story\"><\/span>Share the story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Embedded post\" src=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/embed\/feed\/update\/urn:li:share:7356963354122334209?collapsed=1\" width=\"504\" height=\"643\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From UK to Punjab &#8211; A Heart That Never Left Home In a world driven by material inheritance, Sardar Sukhdev Singh Ji, an NRI from Coventry, UK, chose legacy over land. Though miles away from the dusty fields of Punjab, his soul remained rooted in his birthplace. Land of Love, Not Just Property After decades [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76,59,88],"tags":[102,125],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-7964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-akal-academies","category-honour-and-respect","category-story","tag-education-academies","tag-nri-for-change","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7964"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7970,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7964\/revisions\/7970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7964"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=7964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}