Kalpana’s philanthropist uncle dies

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, April 22

Philanthropist Sant Amrik Dev, uncle of late astronaut Kalpana Chawla, died of illness at Nirmal Dham here on Thursday. He was 80.

He was admitted to Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, a few days ago and later shifted to Apollo Hospital, Delhi. As doctors said he could not be treated, Sant Amrik Dev desired to go to Nirmal Dham. He was brought here in the afternoon and breathed his last around 9.40 pm.

Nirmal Kutiya head Sant Ram Singh lit the pyre.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expressed his condolences and said Sant’s demise was a loss for humanity. Sant Amrik Dev had co-founded Bhagat Labha Mal Kartar Kaur Charitable Trust in 1997. It runs three schools where education is free, an old-age home with a capacity of 150 and a vocational institute, among institutes.

Sant Amrik Dev was a businessman before becoming a philanthropist. He started with a business of making luggage trunk in Karnal and then ventured into electrical goods in Delhi and Mumbai.

After being inspired from his guru, Sant Nikka Singh, he later established several social institutions.

To fulfill his father’s dreams to open an old-age home and a school for poor children, Sant Amrik Dev formed the Trust named after his parents.

He donated his earnings and belongings to Sant Ram Singh for the uplift of society. He and his brother, Kalpana Chawla’s father Banarsi Lal Chawla, managed the affairs of school and the old-age home.