Octogenarian Jagdish Lal Ahuja to get Padma Shri for distributing free langar to poor and needy

The prestigious coveted awards presented by the president of India like Padma Shree and Padmabhushans and decided by the highest body in the government and are accorded to eminent personalities from the field of education, theatre, singing, culture, folk, literature, films, sports, music, social activism, art and so on and so forth.

Usually, recipients of these coveted awards are popular personalities and celebrities have made their mark or impression of outstanding contribution in their chosen field of activities especially the educated contributors with a sound educational background except few or negligible exceptions. These prestigious Padam shrees’ and Padmabushans’ are presented every year on the eve of republic day to encourage such outstanding talents in varied fields of professions.

This year too a number of these coveted honors have been announced but amongst these Padmashree and Padmabhushan awardees, one old person, an octagenarian, with a modest background namely Jagdish Lal Ahuja has been selected for prestigious Padma Shree award to be delivered to him in Rashtrapati Bhawan by the president of India Ram Nath Kovind. An illiterate but a committed philanthropist who’d been providing free food to hundreds of poor persons every day for the last thirty-eight years in front of the PGI in Chandigarh along with his wife 85 year, old white-bearded Jagdish Lal Ahuja was stunned and shocked when he learned about his being nominated as one of the recipients of coveted Padam Shree Award. When the announcement about his selection as one of the Padma Shree Awardee was revealed octogenarian Jagdish Lal Ahuja was as usual busy in delivering free langar to the poor in front of the PGI, Chandigarh.

When the reporter of Dainik Jagran reached the sector 23 house of Jagdish Lal Ahuja and his wife Nirmal Ahuja in Chandigarh to inform them about this coveted award he surprisingly said: Are ek rehri waale ko Padam Shree jaise bada sammaan de Diya? Jagdish Lal Ahuja has been organizing free langar ( food delivery service) to the poor for the last 38 years and has spent crore of rupees to date. He had to sell his wife’s land as well to continue the langar according to Dr. Sumit Singh Shyoran of Jagran Chandigarh. WOW, what generosity and love and genuine concern for the poor.

God bless Jagdish Lal Ahuja and his selfless wife Normal Ahuja for their incessant passion to serve the poor and needy. Salutes to this philanthropist octogenarian.