Pulwama mourns Sikh mother; Kashmiris donate ₹27 lakh in four days

August 7, 2025 by News Desk

Meer Irfan

Surjeet Kour, a Sikh mother from Shadimarg in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged battle with liver failure.

She had been referred to a hospital in Delhi from SKIMS Soura, 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 Kashmir, as appeals for financial help were shared extensively on social media and local platforms.

Doctors had estimated the cost of the transplant at ₹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 ₹27 lakh was donated, mostly in small contributions, reflecting the deep sense of solidarity and compassion that still lives in 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 The Kashmiriyat. 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,” aa cousin of the deceased told The Kashmiriyat.

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.

“Even though we couldn’t save her, the way people united to try, it was nothing short of a miracle,” said a neighbour who helped coordinate the donation drive. “This story will live on, not just in grief, but in gratitude and hope,” a local muslim Gulzar Ahmad Ganie said.

Surjeet Kour is survived by her young son and husband. Her funeral, held in Pulwama, was attended by people from multiple faiths who came to pay their last respects.