– Ramesh Chander
Jalandhar (Samaj Weekly)- Sheela Mahey, one of my fellow BootanMandians, passed away at a young age of 57 on October17. Sheela, a home-maker, was the wife of Balwinder Mahey, an established businessman in leather in Bootan Mandi. Balwinder is the scion of the iconic family of Seth Khushi Ram, a community and political activist of standing of his times some decades ago.
I don’t recall having met Sheela personally but I heard a lot about her socio-cultural activism in and around Jalandhar for the benefit of the community from my brother Paramjit and nephew Mahesh who themselves are involved in community activities. Swami Balram Virdi of Bootan Mandi Satguru Ravidass Dham, with whom Sheela and her team, were coordinating their activities; particularly spiritual ones, also confirmed the appreciable role and contribution of Sheela and her associates from Bootan Mandi and adjoining localities towards social welfare n the area in the field of education, environment, rations and medicines to the needy among other civic needs. Sheela was spearheading these activities under the aegis of an organisation named after Guru Ravidass as Mission Fateh, run with the voluntary financial contributions generated by the organization. Some of the activities of Team Sheela, to my mind, are really thoughtful and must be appreciated.
Keeping with this sense of appreciation and thanks for the work done by Sheela, I thought of writing this obituary as my humble tribute to Sheela Mahey, my worthy fellow BootanMandian. I was told that Sheela, while herself stranded in Canada, arranged rations to the needy in the deadly pandemic Covid a couple of years ago. She catered to the requirements like uniforms, stationery etc. of needy students of Bootan Mandi Schools. The Satsang Mandali formed by Sheela and her associates Rani Puri, Ms. Narinder Salhan and Sunena Chaudhary, granddaughter of yet another iconic BootanMandian, Seth Kishan Dass of among others. Sheela was fully involved in the community activities such as support and participation at Tughlakabad – Delhi (Guru Ravidass Dharam Asthal) agitation, various protests and dharnas for the dalit cause in and around Jalandhar and beyond (providing of Langar Sewa and other amenities, help to the needy during recent floods in Punjab through charities like Begumpura Aid and Akhari Umeed. She was fully alive to the issue of clean air and environment in the area and under tree plantation campaigns at various Deras like Sachkhand Ballan and Gurudawara Sahib of Sant Sant Nirmal Dass Jaure. I am told that Sheela really thought big and had many projects in the pipeline; like medicines at affordable prices and providing training and support to the ladies for their startups. I have noted and it has humbled me that she did all this without any fanfare and publicity like a faceless diplomat. It is not an easy thing to do.
With the demise of Sheela Mahey, the community has lost a huge asset. It is easy to say but difficult to do. Sheela did it. I salute her and fully recognize her services to the community. May God grant peace to the departed soul?
बड़ी मुश्किल से होता है चमन में दीदावर पैदा
