Amritsar: A wave of grief has swept through a family in Punjab’s Amritsar district after a 24-year-old youth reportedly drowned in Slovakia, where he had moved less than a year ago in search of better employment opportunities. The tragic incident has shattered a household that was preparing for a family wedding later this year.
The deceased, identified as Gursevak Singh from the Ajnala area, had travelled to Slovakia around eight months ago on a work permit. According to family members, he had recently settled into his job overseas and regularly stayed in touch with relatives back home.
His sudden death has left the family devastated. Relatives said celebrations for his elder brother’s marriage, scheduled for December, had already begun, but the atmosphere of happiness has now turned into mourning.
His mother recalled speaking to him over the phone just hours before the incident. She said Gursevak mentioned that he had completed a long work shift and was feeling exhausted. He reportedly told her that he planned to have dinner outside instead of cooking before calling again later. That conversation, she said, became their final one.
The family was informed about the tragedy by Gursevak’s friends in Slovakia, who told them that he had drowned. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident have not yet been made public.
His father said the family had borrowed money to send him abroad in the hope of improving their financial condition. According to him, the loan had barely begun to be repaid when the heartbreaking news arrived.
The family has appealed to the Central Government, the Punjab Government and Indian diplomatic authorities in Slovakia to help complete the necessary formalities so that Gursevak Singh’s mortal remains can be brought back to India without delay.
Residents of the village have gathered to support the grieving family and have also urged authorities to extend all possible assistance. The family hopes to perform Gursevak’s last rites in his native village according to Sikh traditions once his body is repatriated.
