A wave of concern ran among Punjabi folk music lovers when they came to know that ‘Kaliyan Da Badshah’ Kuldeep Manak had been hospitalized. He had suffered acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding and was admitted in Deep Hospital, Model Town. Doctors said Manak’s condition is stable and he would be discharged within six days. Fans have been coming from as far as USA for knowing about his health condition. Kuldeep is popularly known for singing Punjabi folk numbers including ‘Ma hundi hai ma’, ‘Tere tille ton surat dendi aa heer di’, ‘Dhula Bhatti’ and ‘Sucha Surma’.
According to Mohammad Sadiq, Punjabi folk singer and a good friend of Manak, his son Yudhvir had not been keeping good health for the last three months, which had made the going tough for their family. He said Yudhvir was admitted in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital for a long time and a few days ago, he was discharged from there.
Sadiq said Kuldeep was under tremendous stress owing to his son’s illness, which resulted in him falling sick. Dr Dinesh Singla said initially, when Kuldeep Manak was admitted in the hospital, his condition was very serious, but he was stable now. He said they had given him endoscopic treatment and had transfused blood. He added that while the bleeding had stopped, he was under observation and would be discharged within a few days.
Gurbhajan Gill, president of Punjabi Sahit Academy, visited the hospital to inquire about Kuldeep’s health. He said Manak is pride of Punjabi culture and folk. ‘He continues to be fully attached with his roots,’ he added.
Gill said not only is Manak renowned in Punjab but also, his voice is resounding across USA and Canada. He said state government should come to the aid of ailing Punjabi singers, writers, journalists, theatre activists and folk instrumentalists by ensuring their medical insurance. Mukhtiar Singh, one of his fans from California, USA, said from his childhood, he had been listening to Manak’s songs. On getting to know he was not well, he came to the hospital.
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