For Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, a former cloth merchant in the United Kingdom, life took a dramatic turn in the face of personal tragedy. Born in the village of Bir Rauke in Punjab’s Moga district in 1958, Dhaliwal had carved out a successful life abroad after moving to the UK at the age of 27. But the untimely death of his mother to cancer pierced his heart, and changed his purpose.
After the passing away of his mother, Dhaliwal took early retirement from his thriving clothing business. At 47, instead of enjoying the fruits of his labour, he turned toward an entirely new mission of battling cancer in India’s underprivileged communities. “I’m fulfilling my mother’s wish to work for the cause of cancer,” he says. “She was diagnosed too late to be saved, and I am committed to raising awareness about early cancer symptoms to help others avoid the same fate.”
Guided by compassion and a deep-rooted sense of duty, Dhaliwal founded the World Cancer Care Society and has since spent most of his time in Punjab, overseeing its operations. The NGO now runs three cancer hospitals in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and the soon-to-be-completed facility in Anandpur Sahib, as well as an eye hospital in Lohian.
Dhaliwal’s more than 18 mobile vehicles equipped with cancer screening equipment, ECGs, diabetes testing kits, and eye check-up tools criss-cross Punjab’s villages. His team has covered nearly 11,000 of Punjab’s 12,700 villages, offering free diagnostics and medications through what he calls a “medical langar.” This outreach has now extended to neighbouring states including Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
His commitment to human welfare predates his cancer crusade. In 1991, he had set up the Sant Singh Dhaliwal Trust in honour of his father, to combat female foeticide, child marriage, and lack of education for girls.
Since becoming the brand ambassador of World Cancer Care in 2014, Dhaliwal has worked tirelessly without drawing a single penny in remuneration. “Pure food is essential,” he often advises rural women, urging them to avoid chemically-laced produce, as a small change that could save lives.
A proud son of Punjab, Dhaliwal has been decorated with national and international honours. But for him, the true reward lies in each life saved. Through service born from sorrow, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal has transformed grief into a force of healing.
