NRI,
Dhaliwal Donated $1.2 million for Tsunami victims
MEQUON, February 1, 2005
By ED ZAGORSKI
GM Today Staff
Walking into the entrance of Dhaliwal Enterprises,
one can’t help but see the numerous plaques and
certificates Darshan Dhaliwal garnered for his generous
nature.
Dhaliwal, owner of Bulk Petroleum Corp., continues
to give of himself, his time and money. Most recently,
he gave $1.2 million to those who survived the devastation
following the tsunami, but he didn’t just cut
a personal check. Dhaliwal, who was in his hometown
of Rakhra, India, about 2,000 miles from the horrific
disaster, used the money to purchase mattresses, clothes,
medicines and food items such as flour and powered
milk.
He said he leased a train with 32 boxcars and four
passenger cars to haul the needed goods and the volunteers
to the tsunami victims.
"I took 500 people with me to set up a community
kitchen where the first day saw about 1,000 survivors
and by week’s end, there were about 15,000 people
using the services and also helping other victims,"
he said from his Mequon office.
Dhaliwal said while he was watching the horrifying
images unfold, he didn’t think twice about helping.
"I moved right away," he said. "I
called the local government and spoke with the governor
on what was needed and within 24 hours a four-page
fax was sent to me. These items needed to be there
yesterday so I needed to act as quickly as possible."
Dhaliwal said he spent four days on the train headed
to the areas most devastated by the tsunami.
"When I got there it was much different than
what was on television," he said. "You can’t
seem to grasp the entire situation without being there."
He said when he arrived he spoke with a man who told
him there were four giant waves within a period of
7 minutes, and he couldn’t do anything to save
his wife and children who were just a few feet away
from him.
"It’s terrible. It’s tragic,"
he said. "It’s just unbelievable."
Dhaliwal said the food and shelter continue to be
the biggest needs among the survivors, but he said
soon the people there will want there livelihood back.
"Depression will set in if they have nothing
to do and don’t have their jobs to rely on,"
he said. "The biggest need right now is to help
get them back on track."
Dhaliwal said he will head back to the country in
two weeks or so to help those ravaged by the storm
get outback motors and boats to rebuild their fishing
occupation.
"It’s important for me to go there and
help," he said. "I don’t want to see
another human being suffering; that is I why I went
there in the first place. Nobody can change it, but
we can help each other and I’m thankful to God
to be in a position where I can help."
