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Homage to Dr Parveen Kaur w/o Dr Surinder Singh Soodan, former President and present Patron of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) 

It was a great shock to hear about the sad demise of Dr Parveen Kaur wife of Dr Surinder Singh Soodan, former President and present Patron of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) after a brave fight against Cancer for four years.  

Dr. Parveen Kaur  D/o Sardar Basawa Singh and Sardarni Parmeshwar Kaur was born in the month of June 1945. Her family originally hailed from village Chowki, Tehsil Bagh (P.O.K) and settled in the city of Poonch. She along with her family migrated to Jammu city when she was just 2 years old. Her father was a highly respected man, a Head Superintendent in the office of then Raja of  Poonch state. Both the parents inculcated high moral values and greate virtues in her. She was the youngest among five brothers and three sisters. Her eldest brother Sardar Teja Singh was IAS Officer and former Chairman JKPSC and Additional Chief Secretary J&K. 

She was the Head Captain of her school. She passed her matriculation from Gurmat Kanya Pathshala in year 1960 and did her intermediary from Govt. College for Women Jammu. She got selected for MBBS and passed her MBBS degree in the year 1968 from Govt. Medical College Srinagar. In the year 1969, she got married to Dr. Surinder Singh Soodan, an eye specialist and the eldest son in his family. Just one day after marriage she received interview calls for her post graduation from Delhi, Chandigarh and Amritsar. She decided to pursue her post – graduation in Govt. Medical College Amritsar where she completed her double MD in both Microbiology and Pathology.  

She joined Govt. services in Govt. hospital Gandhi Nagar and later joined as lecturer GMC, Jammu. She kept climbing the road of her professional journey with her sheer hard work, loyalty, sincerity, dedication and academic brilliance.  

She had a vast teaching experience of more than 35 years, more than 22 years as Professor. She had many publications in national and international journals. Besides being a teacher for undergraduate and post graduate students, she had been post graduate Guide and Examiner in Pathology and Microbiology for many universities in India and Abroad.  

She was also assigned foreign assignment and deputed by Ministry of External Affairs as Assistant Professor to faculty of medicine University of Al-Fateh Tripoli, Libya for 5 years and was also assigned charge as Director of Laboratories to various hospitals attached there. 

After coming back to India, she later became Head of Combined Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Blood Bank in Govt. Medical College, Jammu and later when Departments bifurcated for many years she worked as Head of Microbiology Department GMC Jammu. During her tenure as HOD Microbiology she was the first to start AIDS surveillance work in Jammu Province in the year 1986. 

She got promoted as Principal and Dean, Govt. Medical College Srinagar in 2002 and was the first female Principal of Govt. Medical College Srinagar from Jammu region. She remained as the most respected Principal there and as Dean she got immense appreciation on record for the work done by her at Lal Ded Memorial and SMHS Hospital, Srinagar.  

Her other professional responsibilities included Dean faculty of Medicine Kashmir University, Member Governing Body J&K State Medical Faculty, Coordinating member Water Pollution Committee Jammu District, Member standing investigative Committee J&K state, Member secretary Hospital infection Control Committee GMC Jammu, Incharge AIDS reference centre Jammu province and member Indian Medical Association.  

Due to her professional excellence, sincerity and hard work, she got two years extension in her service and served as member board of professional entrance examinations J&K. After retiring from Govt. services she later served as Professor and Head Microbiology Department ASCOMS and also was member of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) and kept continuing with her other social and family responsibilities with utmost commitment.  

She was an inspirational figure and highly honest and immensely knowledgeable doctor, a beautiful respectful daughter, a sweet beloved vibrant sister, a very respectful dutiful daughter-in-law, a motherly loving Bhabhi, a highly committed and supporting wife, a wonderful motivational caring mother of three daughters , a loving and caring mother in law and highly loving and concerned grandmother of 4 grand children. Her personality was highly positive and she remained an epitome of grace, determination, great willpower, immense love and wisdom. 

As in her own words quoted from the book “Quest of life” she said,  “One thing that has remained my principal of life, I have always been empathetic. Empathy is to see and feel through the eyes of the other. I have always been like that whether it was dealing with people professionally or in my personal life. To be truthful and hardworking was my way. To be helpful and dutiful is how I have lived.  

My father was a great man and he had nurtured us since childhood to be always prepared to face harsh realities of life, to be respectful, truthful and never hurt anyone. My mother was a pious lady, she always taught us to remain modest. My parents always taught us to remain humble yet to be bold.  

Let me tell you I follow the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and according to him we should never hurt others but if some injustice is done then we must also know how not to stay quiet.  So I suppose that was the teaching imbibed in us, we were soft but had immense strength to face the hardships of life. I knew I would never do wrong to others and so nothing bad would happen to me.  

With God’s blessings I was married to a family where I was always loved and respected. The affection and regard I have received by each one of them has been a marvellous journey for me. This was a blessing. Being the youngest child in family, I was loved a lot by all much beyond the expression of words. When I got married I become the eldest daughter in law, my husband’s brothers and sisters were young. They have literally stayed with me and I always considered them to be my own children.  Even today if you ask me his brothers and sisters come first and then my own children. This is the sort of bond we share. The respect and love that I had received from one and all is beyond any comparison. I am immensely grateful for I have received the motherly love from each one of them throughout my life.  

My husband has remained a caring husband and always been like a shield for me. He has been an ideal father. We have always taken decisions of life together. My children, their husbands who are also like my children and my grand children are extremely loving ones, I feel blessed that I have got such a life and family. I am a totally contented lady, most grateful to God. There is nothing more that I could ask for in life.”    

It is worth mentioning here that Dr S S Soodan was an active member of All India Students Federation and a close associate of Dr Joginder Dayal during his days of post-graduation at Aligarh.  

Dr Bhavneet Kaur

Daughter