Sikh mother’s death sparks outpouring of grief, unity across Kashmir valley
Srinagar: The tragic passing of 35-year-old Surjeet Kour, a Sikh mother from Shadimarg in Pulwama, has evoked a wave of grief and solidarity across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, uniting people from all communities in a powerful display of Kashmiriyat and shared humanity. Despite collective efforts to fund her life-saving liver transplant, Surjeet succumbed, leaving behind a six-year-old son and a grieving family.
According to Kashmir Media Service, she had been referred to a hospital in Delhi Soura hospital in Srinagar for an urgent liver transplant. The 35-year-old was the mother of a six-year-old son. Her case had drawn widespread attention across the occupied territory, as appeals for financial help were shared extensively on social media and local platforms.
Doctors had estimated the cost of the transplant at INR 40 lakh, a sum far beyond the family’s capacity. In an extraordinary show of support, Kashmiris from all communities came together to raise funds for her treatment. Within a span of four days, over INR 27 lakh was donated, mostly in small contributions, reflecting the deep sense of solidarity and compassion that features occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
While the medical intervention could not save Surjeet Kour’s life, her family and the larger Sikh community in Kashmir say they will never forget the overwhelming support they received.
“In our grief, we witnessed a rare unity,” Ravinder Singh, a community elder from Pulwama told a media outlet. He said that people from all walks of life, shopkeepers, students, farmers, and labourers, opened their hearts and wallets for Surjeet Kour. As Kashmiri Sikhs, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. Your support didn’t just help financially, it reminded us we are one people, in joy and in sorrow.”
Another family member, Amarjeet Kour, said the collective response was deeply emotional for the community. “The way people came forward, from remote villages to towns, proves that Kashmiriyat is still alive. We were strangers to many who donated, yet they gave as if it were their own sister who was ill. We thank each and every one of them from the bottom of our hearts,” a cousin of the deceased said.
Surjeet’s story has become more than just a medical appeal. It became a reminder of Kashmir’s shared humanity, where differences of religion, language, or identity dissolve in moments of compassion.
Surjeet Kour is survived by her young son and husband. Her last rites, held in Pulwama, were attended by people from multiple faiths who came to pay their last respects.
