Prologue
Brig Surinder Singh (1944-2021) was a quiet person, who was able to say a lot in the few words he spoke. His deeds did the rest. His presence was a source of joy always and every time, wherever he was. Whether in the military life or in the family, he accepted whatever he received. He neither sought a prize posting, nor recognition for his work, and when the family assets were divided, he was content with whatever was given to him. Greed and covetousness were alien to his personality, and he was not provoked, even when someone was outrageously offensive towards him. When death knocked at his door, he accepted it as the will of the Lord, and after an incredibly short period, he left the world of mortals, and took the long road to nowhere. It came to me as a body blow because I am older than him. I am not sure that life will ever be the same for me.
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Birth and Childhood
We will never know whether he was born on 13th or the 14th of September, 1944. Our revered father, Maj Balwant Singh ji was on the Burma front, and the battle of Kohima and Imphal put a total ban on leave of all kinds. Surinder was born at mid-night and no one bothered to check the exact time of his birth. His first picture in the family album shows him in the lap of our uncle Prem Singh. I see an incredible serenity in his eyes, which he retained till the very end of his life. See it for yourself.
Soon after he was born, the Punjab was partitioned and we were thrown out of the land of our birth. However, within a couple of years, Pitaji was selected for a posting to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in 1949. Surinder was the only one amongst the four brothers to begin his schooling in an English medium public school. He was admitted into St Joseph’s Academy, Dehradun. The elder three brothers went into the Hindi medium, ‘desi’ schools. Here is what we four looked like in 1948.
Our ‘Foursome’ Surinder, Surjit, Manmohan and Manjit in 1948
Our Childhood
As far as I can tell our childhood was extremely pleasurable. Our father was posted to Dehradun, Delhi Cantt and Meerut Cantt. We were allotted large bungalows with plenty of place to play around.
In 1953, the elder two went away to IIT Kharagpur. Surinder and I were left alone to rule the roost. Before I recount the rest of the story, permit me to share a quip. In 1949, on a cold December night, our eldest brother was preparing for his examinations, while the rest of us were lying, cozy in our quilts. Suddenly, the ink in Manjit’s pen ran out. He commanded Surinder to get up and fetch the bottle from our father’s room. Surinder told him that it was too cold for him to get out of the bed. He received a scolding, and when he dithered for the third time, the elder brother issued a threat, “Will you get up or do I have to get up and slap you?” The five-odd year old Surinder had the gumption to say something which the family has not forgotten even today. In a meek and submissive voice, he said, “Virji, when you get up to slap me, please fetch the ink bottle, also!”
In 1953, our father was posted to Delhi Cantonment. We were allotted #24, The Mall. It is built over an area of nearly four acres, and so we had enough place to keep two buffaloes and had a cricket pitch of our own. There were lots of trees for us to climb. Permit me to show you a few pictures to embellish the tale.
# 24 the Mall. Delhi Cantonment
Surinder, being the youngest, was our mother’s favorite. He was slightly shorter and weaker than the rest of his class mates, When Jhaiji (as we called our mother) noticed that, she urged our father to withdraw him for school for one year. He had one sole job: to eat well and play all day. His 10th birthday was celebrated in Sep 1954. We have some pictures of the event.
Surinder, cutting the birthday cake.
And this is ‘musical chairs’ which we played with the help of a gramophone
By the time Surinder finished his yearlong sabbatical, our father was posted to the Services’ Selection Board, Meerut Cantt, where we were allotted a similar house, # 163, The Mall. This house was equally big, and it even had a well. A picture depicting its architecture is given below:
# 163, the Mall. Meerut Cantonment
Our buffaloes moved with us. Surinder and I used to go for horse riding in the RVC Center and for swimming in the Wheeler Club (built in 1863). Surinder joined St Mary’s Academy, and in the very first examination held there, he was so far ahead of the child who came second in the class, that the Principal decided to give him a ‘double’ promotion. Our lad surprised everyone by standing first there too. There is one picture of that house which is my personal favorite:
You see Surinder having a grand time, riding our buffalo!
From Meerut we went to Allahabad, in 1957. I went away to the NDA in Jan 1958, while Surinder did his High School at the age of 14 years and a few months. We then moved on to Dehradun in 1959, when our father was posted to the IMA for a second time. In his Intermediate examination (the equivalent of ‘Plus two’) Surinder stood first in Dehradun District and had a wide choice of Engineering Colleges. He chose to join the first batch IIT Delhi, which had been established that year itself.
I forgot to mention that while he was in Dehradun, Surinder gained height almost overnight. After the fourth term when I went home, he was several inches taller than me. He had picked up a decent game of squash, and beat me hollow, to my utter chagrin and dismay!
Surinder in IIT, Hauz Khas
In 1961, Hauz Khas was far away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Qutub Minar was the only landmark. I was commissioned in that year, and Delhi was on my route from wherever, I was posted. I often spent a day or two in the Shivalik Hostel, where Surinder was lodged. I met all his friends. Those, whose names I still remember are IS Gill, Randhir Kapoor, ‘Ops’ Lalit Mehra and Minocha. His friends were extremely intelligent and came out with some of the pithiest jokes which I have ever heard. A few samples are given below:
*
The electrical engineering students designed a light sensing switch to automatically switch on the street lights at dusk, and switch them off when the Sun rose. Unfortunately, the digital circuit got inverted, and the lights got switched ‘on’ in the morning and went ‘off’ at dusk. A student wrote the following note:
“Our street lights make a humble contribution to the solar illumination all through the day. As if discouraged by their performance, they seem to give it up when the Sun sets!”
*
The tap water got polluted, and there was a fear of an epidemic. The hostel canteen manager was directed to boil the drinking water before serving it. He did his job most enthusiastically, but since he did not have adequate refrigeration system, the water was piping hot, at lunch one day. A atudent wrote,
“The idea was to serve boiled water for drinking. Not boiling water”
*
The state of public transport at that point of time in that area was described by Surinder in one pithy line. When I asked him as to how they went to Connaught Place for a jaunt, he said,
“When we are in no hurry, we take a bus. Otherwise, we walk down!”
The 1966 batch celebrated the Golden Jubilee of their graduation in 2016. Surinder wrote a piece entitled “A Re-union to Remember” A link to the piece is given below.
https://amolak.in/web/a-reunion-to-remember-by-brig-surinder-singh/
A selection of pictures extracted from the above piece is given below, just as a sample:
A group photograph of the 1966 pass outs of 1966 batch IIT Delhi
Satish Manocha. We have a special bondage with him. He belongs to Faruka, our ancestral village, now in Pakistan
Another group photograph which reveals the spirit of the Re-union
Surinder’s days in the Army uniform
In the campus placement, Surinder was picked up by ‘Philips India’ and was all set to go to the Netherlands for training. By a providential twist, Philips fell out with India, and his departure got unduly delayed. On the rebound, Surinder joined Kurukshetra University as a stop gap. And then one day, he suddenly declared that he was going to join the army. In later life, he told me that during his visit to EME Centre, Secunderabad where I was posted, he was enamored by military life, and he preferred it over the corporate atmosphere.
The rest is history. He landed up in the IMA as Technical Graduate and was commissioned in Dec 1967. In the process, he had lost at least two years in terms of seniority, and that cost him at least one promotion. However, it was not his nature to regret. I never heard him complain, and there was no bitterness on this count.
Surinder topped the Young Officers’ course. And he did so in the most effortless manner. By nature, he was neither pushy nor ambitious. Academic excellence was inherent to him, and his entire course was unanimously agreed that he was the best. He was awarded a trophy in 1968.
Lt Surinder Singh receiving the Trophy and a medal in 1968 at the MCEME
I was rather excited at his achievement and went about talking about it to all my friends. And Surinder said, “This is, perhaps, not a great accomplishment. The MCEME conducts about ten such courses every year. And on each such course, one officer stands first. There are at least twenty such establishments in the Army, and so there are hundreds like me…” I was stunned by his philosophical observation. Concealed in his observation was his inherent humility. Surinder was down to earth, all his life. His feet were firmly rooted to the ground.
Surinder retained his unbeaten position on all the courses he attended, which included the M Tech in IIT Delhi. He was sent to the Soviet Union twice to for training on Missiles, and he was chosen to set up the repair facility in Meerut, in collaboration with Soviet engineers. For this job he picked up a working knowledge of Russian language. Indeed, teaching was his inherent strength. He did two long tenures in MCEME. And after he retired in 2000, he took to teaching like fish take to water. He kept working in Punjab Technical University right up to 2015, when he was well over 71 years old. He has an enormous fan-following amongst his students whose number runs into hundreds.
The Summing Up
Surinder is gone. Gone forever. He has taken the long road to nowhere. That is a fact of life. My regret is that he has overtaken me, and I miss him immensely. We had been together for over 76 years, and I had got used to having him around to lessen the burden on heart, whenever life treated me unkindly. We had many common friends, and at the gatherings of the Corps of EME we were always together.
He was taller than me, and better than me in all games, including Golf and Bridge. For our holidays to we went together; whether it was the Andamans, Kumaon Hills,Shimla or Secunderabad. Fortunately, our wives get along famously. We have even shared houses, whenever there was a shortage of accommodation. His pre-mature departure has dealt a body blow on me. It will take me quite a while to recover my equanimity.
There is a lot to learn from his tranquil and serene life-style, and I am sanguine that his friends will add their impressions in the ‘comments’. Or maybe, we might need to write a sequel to this piece in due course of time.
If I were to describe his personality in a few words, I would say the following:
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Surinder was a man of few words. He rarely spoke of his own achievements. He had done some innovative work in the MCEME for which he was awarded the COAS Commendation Card not once, but twice, in 1977-78. He rarely talked about it.
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He was gentle to the point of being acquiescent. I never saw him picking up a quarrel with his colleagues or relatives. Harmony was of utmost importance to him.
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He took his joys and sorrows lightly. If ever he got into a jam, he said, “Ah! I have been through worse than this!” Or he would often say, “This too shall pass!”
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His sense of humour was subtle and sharp. Sarcasm was a taboo, as far as he was concerned.
And his entire being can be summed up in seven words: “He gave more to life. Took less”
The Road Ahead
Surinder’s wife, Satinder is in grief. But we hope that time will restore her composure, so that she can guide her grandchildren. His son, Pawan is a couple of inches taller than him, and the grandson, Jasraj has dwarfed both of them. He stands just a little short six-feet-four.
Jasraj has dwarfed his grandfather as well as father, Pawan
This story would be incomplete if we do not mention the names of his architect daughter, Savneet and her extremely affectionate husband, Bhavneet. Bhavneet has sent me a bunch of pictures which I plan to include in the sequel to this piece. I have also requested him to share his reminisces with Surinder. Here is what they look like. They are a family of gifted designers/builders.
Bhavneet, Surinder, Satinder and Savneet
THE END OF AN ERA
By Surendra T S
He was larger than life with extraordinary intellectual abilities and imbued with a rare sang-froid that would define his demeanour. He towered above his peers in almost every field of human endeavour that contributed to the upliftment of Society and was a veritable role model across generations. He had very few foibles and fallibilities. He was neither loquacious nor terse but articulated succinctly with conviction. He had a clutter free and unbiased perspective of life. He was Brig Surinder Singh, who bestrode the engineering firmament like a colossus. He was a visionary full of poise, humility and kindliness. He never hesitated to call a spade a spade and was not given to tergiversation.
As an Instructor, he had set the bar very high. I was privileged to be a student of his during a short Radar programme (P15). The students’ initial nonchalance was soon dispelled as the Brigadier started speaking.
“Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway
And Fools who came to scoff remained to pray”.
Away back in 1975, when Gen Surjit and I joined IIT Delhi late for our M.Tech program, due to delayed interviews, it was Brig Surinder then finishing his M.Tech program at IIT D , who had helped us with our registration formalities.
He had a pleasing sense of humour that further accentuated his versatility. He was legitimately proud of his family who stood by him till the end. In his passing away, due to the inscrutable ways of fate, we have all lost a good friend, a genuine mentor and a person you could rely on in times of distress. Sometimes even God is unkind.
“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time”
SURINDER is perhaps an acronym for Simple, Understanding, Resolute, Ingenious, Nonpareil, Dynamic, Empathetic and Resilient.
Respected Gen. Surjit Singh ji,
I consider myself to be lucky/ fortunate to have been born in same village Farooka in Distt. Sargodha ; as Brig (R) Surinder Singh , and myself a few months younger. The Delhi IIT time & hostel era of five years from 1961 was where we got united , felt as if we were real brothers. But that time neither never knew where & when each was born. I always found him humble, down to earth , great human , ready to help when needed.
It was our ReUnion in December 2016 , on Golden Jubilee Celebrations of our Delhi IIT batch, that we became closer , had long chats and updated on our life since 1966. Surinder told me that Gen. Surjit Singh was interested in meeting me. Immediately , I changed my plan and went to Chandigarh after the ReUnion gathering in Faridabad & Delhi.
I felt so great, when Surinder firstly showed me the Photo of his Chachaji, Major (R) Sardar AgyaPal Singh ji, at entrance of Gurudwara in Sector 34 . Our family had known him well, as he used to visit us in Delhi Roop Nagar on annual Akhand Path in honour of my ancestors and in special occasions like weddings. I also remembered , as a young boy, visiting his official Banglow in Delhi Cantt during visit of top Soviet delegation of Khrushchev and Bulganin with PM Sh. Nehru.
Then Surinder took me to home of Gen Surjit Singh ji. I was overjoyed to listen to him on our common place of birth Farooka. In fact heard a lot on my elders , more than I had known from my elder brothers , sisters or mother.
Major Agyapal Singh ji was close friend of Sh. Shiv Lal ji ( my first cousin, & much elder ) , well known to our families since Farooka time, before partition of India. Sh. Shiv Lal ji home was close to ours in Roop Nagar Delhi, and was business partner with my eldest brother and my main guardian.
Great to have learnt about Gen. Surjit Singh & family and his hobby of writing books and blogs. We exchanged a lot about each other family connections. I was again lucky to have received two books written by the General as gifts. One book has a page on his Chachaji Major Agyapal Singh ji. Coincidence.. I forgot my mobile in home of the General, being in a hurry to catch train to Delhi. General Sahib drove & even tried to stop the train. Later my nephew got my mobile & sent to Bengaluru.
In 2018, I visited home of Brig. Surinder Singh in Mohali, had excellent interactions with family for a long time. Exchanged details of our life as of then, about our next generations etc.. Thought of & considered our next meeting in Bengaluru , in our home.
I never could imagine that that would be our last meeting on our only one Good Earth. I have very Happy memories of him , his simple humble ways, clear thoughts.
His Pure Great Soul is with the Almighty ,rather too early.
Best regards to the extended family of General Surjit Singh ji.
Satish Manocha, Bengaluru,
Mobile : 9448061434
Landline Home : 080 41309963.
Further to my remarks endorsed on 29 March 2021 , I would like to say that my friend late Surinder loved nature and was an avid traveller enjoying the beauty of various places and understanding different culture.He was very proud of his rich lineage and a devout Sikh in his life.We miss him and he will continue to live in our hearts.
Dear General Surjit Sir,
Thank you for remembering us. I was extremely saddened to learn about Brig Surinder’s passing away – may he remain blessed in Waheguru’s arms.
He was the best instructor I came across in my life and his presence and composure was always of a person operating in a higher dimension. In fact I took him as a role model and he was very kind in mentoring me when necessary.
Jaggi Oberoi
rks gulia
1:58 PM (31 minutes ago)
to me
A saint and a great soldier gone . RIP .
With Warm Regards,
Brig RK SINGH (V) IA.
B.E, C. Eng(I), D.B.M, M.I.E
M: 09999985100,09312219918
Dear Sir
Your very touching and moving tribute to Brigadier Surinder is testimony of the great man he was and a great reflection of the strong bonds that that exist in your family.
Unfortunately, I never got an opportunity to serve with him or to know him personally. However, I can unequivocally state that he was loved and respected wherever he went, and the mandate I have is from the many EME officers who, over the years, have been telling me so. He will continue to be remembered fondly and am sure his legacy will continue to guide all those whose life he touched.
It is said that those loved most, are taken by God earlier and that is why he would surely be resting in peace, far above in a much better place. We pray that his family and dear ones will accept God’s will and emerge from this difficult time with grace, as is meant to be.
May God give you all lots of strength always.
Warm Regards,
Dhiraj
Sad about your Brother’s passing-on. We all will! Om Shanti. RIP!
Yogi
Dear Uncle,
SSA. Extremely saddened to hear about Surinder Uncle. I just read the post by Savneet this morning. I wish I knew earlier. Please accept our deepest and heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in eternal peace and Waheguruji give the family the strength to bear this irreparable loss.
I also read the blog post on amolak.in
Such a noble and intellectual life lived… a very humble soul. I feel honored and blessed to have known and met him
Ruby
Sudhanshu Randev
3:22 PM (5 hours ago)
to me
Sir,
Our Heartfelt Codolances.
May his soul Rest In Peace and give you all strength to bear this loss.
I was not able to comment on the Facebook because of some technical reasons.
I must say that yours is an accomplished family with strong bondage which is very rare nowadays.
It is always very exhilarating experience reading your posts.
En excellent tribute to your brother.
Regards.
COL S K RANDEV
Dear Surjeet
Your poignant heartwarming tribute to dear Surinder really touched our hearts. The pictures you posted are so alive.
They say “to live in the hearts of those who who love you is not to die”
Indeed he will continue to live in our hearts.
We did not know Surinder and his wife too well. We never served together, but we were very fond of the couple primarily because he was our close friend’s sibling.
We knew them through you. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Our heartfelt condolences to Satinder and the family. May God Help them to accept the Hukam.
Waheguru Rakha
Amar and Kanwal
Dear Surjit
That’s an excellent write up I will surely try to add some thoughts and interactions and may be some photos
Ravi
KOHLI VEENA
Feb 25, 2021, 4:56 AM
So very sad Please convey our sadness and condolences to all . We lost Vir on 3 SEP every month one very near one is going it’s perhaps old age . May their souls rest in peace.
Satya Kumar and Veena
kulbir suri
Wed, Feb 24, 8:28 PM
to me
Dear Surjit,
Please accept our heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of your brother. May God give you all, the entire family, requisite strength to bear this unfortunate loss. My sincere apologies for the delay.
Regards
Kulbir
surinder mehta
Feb 22, 2021, 8:57 PM
to me
Dear Sir,
Please accept our heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Brig Surinder Singh. May God give the family strength to bear this untimely and irreparable loss . May his soul rest in peace.
He was one of the most favourite teachers of mine while I was doing GOBL course of my YTO leg in 1976. I did my ORrE course under him. He was one of the most outstanding and revered instructor in MCEME. But for him, I would not have topped my OALE(R) course, based on which I went to do OSA-AK course in Russia. This changed the course of my life. I owe a great deal of my success to teachers and mentors like him. May God bless his soul.
Regards,
Gen Mehta
harinder singh bedi
Mon, Feb 22, 7:46 PM
to me
Dear Surjit ji and Surinder ji,
Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing on of your dear brother Brig. Surinder Singh. You, Surjit ji, have often written about him, always in glowing terms, in your blogs. So I can well understand the immensity of the loss this has been for you.
May Waheguru give you and all family members the strength and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and the departed soul a place at His feet.
In grief,
Harindar
Dharambir singh
Sun, Feb 21, 8:07 PM
to me
Will miss Surinder such a likeable person who always spread goodness around without making it obvious One could not help liking Him
I wish He was there for many more years Feel sorry for not having spent more time with Him
May His soul rest in peace
DBSingh
gyapal Oberoi
Feb 21, 2021, 8:48 AM
to Inderjit, me, IITD
Dear Surjit ji,
It is with profound sorrow that I learnt today of the unexpected passing of your brother Brigadier Surinder Singh on Feb 16, 2021, after a brief illness.
I am a batch mate of Surinder, and had lost touch with him after our graduation in 1966, until I received a pleasant surprise in the form of an email from him about 12 years ago. He had obtained my email address from his friend Lt. Gen. IJ Singh, who at that time was the Commandant of the EME, when he came to know that I was the brother of his wife Mrs. Umita Singh. Surinder and I exchanged emails from time to time. Later when I visited Mohali, around 8 years or so ago, he invited me to a dinner at the Army Club in Chandigarh / Mohali, at which we had a small, but warm and lovely reunion of sorts with him, IS Gill, and their spouses. My wife and I then met him and his wife Mrs. Satinder Kaur at the 50th anniversary gathering of our batch in December 2016.
I was planning to catch up with him again during my next visit to India, but alas we will not meet again. I believe that you also know my brother-in-law IJ; I will inform him of this tragic news, and he will indeed be saddened.
My wife and I send our deepest condolences to yourself, to Mrs. Satinder Kaur, to Surinder’s immediate, and extended family, and to all his near and dear ones. I could sense how much admiration and love he had for you, his elder brother, whose footsteps he followed in the army. May Surinder’s loving and affectionate spirit rest in eternal peace, and may all of you have the strength to bear this great irreparable loss.
Sincerely,
Agyapal Singh Oberoi
Vinod Khurana
Feb 21, 2021, 8:46 AM
to arun, Divi, iitd-batch-1966@googlegroups.com, lalit.mehra@gmail.com, me
Very sad to know of the passing away of Surinder Singh. Our heartfelt condolences to the family.
Vinod and Savita Khurana
NARESH JAIN
Feb 21, 2021, 6:30 AM
to Virendra, Arun, Bhagwan, Vijay, Vijay, Lalit, me, IITD
So sad to hear this. May his soul rest In Peace.
Most sincere condolences to his family,
Naresh
Virendra Sood
Feb 21, 2021, 12:30 AM
to Arun, Bhagwan, Vijay, Vijay, Lalit, me, IITD
It is a sad day in our lives when the near and dear ones depart. Our sincerest condolences on passing of Surinder Singh. May his soul rest in peace and may God give his family courage to bear this loss.
With heavy heart,
Virendra Mohan Sood
Vijay Chaudhry
Feb 20, 2021, 10:50 PM
to Arun, Bhagwan, Vijay, Lalit, me, IITD
Sincerest condolence on passing of Surinder Singh.
Let his soul Rest In Peace and give strength to the family to bear his loss
Vijay
asood@scitlabs.com
Feb 20, 2021, 9:55 PM
to Bhagwan, Vijay, Lalit, me, IITD
Very sad to hear of Surinder passing. We were neighbours in the class list. I had a long conversation with Surinder and his wife at the last class event. My condolences to his family.
Arun Sood
arun ahuja
Feb 20, 2021, 9:39 PM
to Divi, iitd-batch-1966@googlegroups.com, me, lalit.mehra@gmail.com
Surjhit Singh ji
sad news indeed..remember Surinder very fondly..one of the few people from our batch who joined the armed forces
and excelled there.
Condolences to you and the family
regards
Arun and Jaki
Divi Rajpal
Feb 20, 2021, 8:30 PM
to lalit.mehra@gmail.com, me, iitd-batch-1966@googlegroups.com
Very sorry to know of the passing away of Surinder Singh. We were together at IIT Delhi for 5 years and I remember him fondly.
Our heartfelt condolences to his family.
Divi Rajpal
ramakant gupta
Attachments
Feb 20, 2021, 3:14 PM
to me, Lalit, IITD
Sad to know about the demise of Brig Surinder Singh. We pray God almighty that may his noble soul rest in peace and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this loss.
Ramakant gupta/ Usha gupta
manojjhingran
Feb 20, 2021, 2:34 PM
to SP, Lalit, me, iitd-batch-1966
Very shocking news. I still remember our tracking expedition to Kullu Manali
Our heart felt condolences to the bereaved family. We pray to God to give strength to the family to bear the loss.
RIP
Ranjana & Manoj Jhingran
K Venkataramanan
Feb 20, 2021, 2:22 PM
to Vijay, lalit.mehra, me, iitd-batch-1966
Very sad news. Memories go back to Shvalik Hostel and I remember he used to have a short session of Tennis, I believe if my memory is correct, even during our exams nearing days.
Heartfelt condolences to his family from Jyothi and Venkat
SP Kataria
Feb 20, 2021, 2:04 PM
to iitd-batch-1966, Lalit, me
So sorry to hear the tragic news.
My heartfelt condolences to the family. We pray to God to give the family the strength to bear this loss
SP Kataria
S.K. Bhatia
Feb 20, 2021, 1:34 PM
to iitdbatch1966, lalit.mehra, me
My condolences to the bereaved family. We have lost a gentleman cadet friend
Sushil Bhatia
Bhagwan Karnani
Feb 20, 2021, 1:30 PM
to Vijay, lalit.mehra, me, iitd-batch-1966
This is shocking. Surinder was one of my closest friends in IIT and thereafter – ever cheerful
My sincere condolences to Satinder Kaur, Gen Surjit Singh and the family
RIP my friend
Bhagu Karnani
wineguyindia@gmail.com
Feb 20, 2021, 1:15 PM
to Lalit, me, iitd-batch-1966
Ooh, what a shocker!! Terribly sad to know. Praying for his soul to rest in peace.
Reminds us we are getting closer and closer….!!
Subhash
Cavaliere SUBHASH ARORA
Founder Chairman E.: Delhi Wine Club,
President: Indian Wine Academy
Editor: DelWine, Awardee: Mérite de l’OIV 2011
A-458 Defence Colony, N. Delhi-110024
http://www.indianwineacademy.com,
http://www.delwine.com, http://www.delhiwineclub.com
Ph:91- 9818368428, 011-41622892
Lalit Mehra – Gmail
Feb 20, 2021, 9:58 AM
to me, iitd-batch-1966
Dear Surjit Singh ji,
It is times like this that make one realize the helplessness of man in the face of the WILL of the ALMIGHTY.
While praying for strength to the family to bear the loss, I pray for peace to his departed soul.
In grief
Lalit Mehra
Class of 66, IIT Delhi
Sir,
Your loss is so personal & painful that it is beyond any suitable words to express it. May Waheguru bless his soul & rest in peace.
But our Gurbani teaches us that we all have to go one day. So it is time not to be sad but celebrate his life on earth. You are lucky to be together for over 7 decades, where is lost my brother when he was 40 & I was 38.
Please accept my condolences but as true Khalsa ” Tera Bhana Meetha Lage”
Thanks,
Gurjeet
Sir,
Your ‘Tribute’ for your brother is extremely touching.
I was fortunate to meet Brig Surinder on a number of occasions during service and thereafter. I will always remember him as a very calm and composed gentleman who contributed immensely to the Corps of EME and our Army.
Warm Regards
Respected Gen Surjit Sir,
He was a widely respeced professional officer of the old school.
I had the privillege of working under him, when he was the Director EME ( L) and it was a contineous learning procees, during every interaction.
He was instrumental in establishing overhaul line of Kvadrat Weapon System in 510 Army Base Workshop, Meerut. During my tenure in 510, it was again a lesson to see his professional touch in each aspect of the Kvadrat Overhaul Line.
Like I mentioned, earlier in the mail – “He had a clear sense of direction and achieved organisational objectives, always – seemingly effortlessly “.
Warm regards
Prabal Sen
Ram Sharma
12:45 PM (1 hour ago)
to me
Surjit, Sorry to hear about your brothers sudden demise. To lose a brother is such a shock.
Please accept our condolences .
Ram Sharma
–
Ram K Sharma
1001/M Malabar hills pune 411040
+91 9860306485 , +91 20 26707082
Dear Chacha
So true….just that everyone could stay…..Chacha was always there…for anyone and i have never saw lose his cool….and ofcourse mama papas favourite….we heard so many stories about his younger days from both ma and pa….miss him so much
Gunni Gunamrit
I have read till here with great difficulty , trying to stop my tears very touching and well written missing him each every day, can’t believe that he is no more with you , Thanks for sharing
Bhavneet
So true….just that everyone could stay…..Chacha was always there…for anyone and i have never saw lose his cool….and of course mama papas favourite….we heard so many stories about his younger days from both ma and pa….miss him so much
Gunni
When I received the “ Times of India “ award for the “Best Sustainable Architects “ Papa was so proud ( he reached the venue before me ) When I had just started my practice in 1995 and was overwhelmed as to how I will “build a practice “ ,being married and all ; he said something I wrote on the first page of my first professional dairy..” Rome was not built in a day “ ….you will ,one day ! Infact he had me change the name from “ Kaliana & associates “ to IMARAT ,saying that your work should stand out, not your name !
Savi
Thank You Chacha Ji ; it is so beautifully written & describes Papa so well ,reading it has made me miss him all over again ! His void can never be filled!
Savneet
Remembering Chacha with lots of love.
I never thought that I will never be able to see his most loving affectionate smile when I hugged him the last time.
Gone too soon.
Nuri
Respected Gen Surjit ji,
It is indeed very sad to learn about Brig Surinder ji’s demise. Your piece on him is a great tribute in all fondness of him. I remember both brother’s comment on my singing as below **:
Surjit Singh says:
October 20, 2016 at 8:19 PM
Dear Sultan,
Your songs have been well received. Well done, and keep it up. May the Lord grant more strength to you to contribute to music.
Recorded music is a pleasure to listen to. But the soul of the song is in live performances. I think that in your life, you should now aim at creating a choir, with students from a school or college. And they must perform to live audiences. Recording of such programmes will give you a joy forever.
I see the makings of an ‘ustad’ in you!
God bless…and ‘lage raho, Sultan Bhai’ !
Surjit
——
Surinder says:
October 20, 2016 at 5:37 PM
Dear Sultan,
After hearing your song a few times, I really started enjoying your music.
Then we opened up an old album, and saw pictures of your wedding in DSOI New Delhi.
It was nostalgia!
Surinder
** Late Brig Surinder ji had an endearing mannerism and grandeur of a Gentleman.
May the pious soul RIP.
We share this hour of grief with you and the family.
Kohli & Malik families
A great and touching tribute showing your brotherly love for Surinder. Your eulogy for Surinder comes straight from the heart.
Surinder was a perfect gentleman, soft spoken yet firm. He was with me as Brig EME 16 Corps and did an excellent stint in keeping the equipment of the formation, battle worthy at all times. In fact on one very rare occasion, the Army Commander in his monthly conference specifically credited the 16 Corps EME and mentioned that all A vehs of 16 Corps were battle worthy.
In another instance we were required to help the Siachen Brigade to haul up their rations and equipment across a crevice,as carrying them was difficult and time consuming. Surinder fabricated an ingenious device consisting of several pulleys and chains in about a weeks time; it was demonstrated to the Army Commander, got his instant approval and was deployed in Siachen much to the relief of the formation.
I remember Dolly had to board a train from Jammu, so we went to Nagrota first and had tea with Surinder. He got a message that the old Nagrota Jammu road was blocked due to a landslide and the only way to get across was to walk over the slushy landslide,which was not easy as it was still raining. Surinder quickly organised help, we went to the landslide area and slowly walked across the muddy and slippery slide in pouring rain. All this while he held her hand and guided her to safety across the slide and just in time to board the train.
Surinder was an exceptional officer and was loved by the troops under his command. We shall all miss him immensely.
Rest in peace dear Surinder. We shall always cherish our association.
Dear Surjit,
I was with dear Surinder at Mathura during 1984-86, me as CO 7001 CMA Wksp & he with Kvadrat Missile Wksp under KJ Singh.
When I was posted there & I didn’t have the house, he & his charming wife invited me & Shubha to occupy their house as they were going on annual leave. They dumped all their belongings in one room & handed over their house. That was how generous they were.
Great soul-soft spoken, extremely quick on uptake, never used to get angry/upset, easy to get along & “yaaron ka yaara” (ditto copy of brother Surjit).
Miss you dear Surinder & RIP. Heartfelt condolences to Madam Surinder (Satinder, am I correct?) children & Surjits.
Bole- Sonihal-Sat Sri Akaal.
Col Shankar & Shubha.
Dear Surjit,
We were together at Mathura during 1984-86, me as CO 7001 CMA Wksp & he with Kvadrat Missile Wksp under KJ Singh.
When I was posted there & I didn’t have the house, he & his charming wife invited me & Shubha to occupy their house as they were going on annual leave. They dumped all their belongings in one room & handed over their house. That was how generous they were.
Great soul-soft spoken, extremely quick on uptake, never used to get angry/upset, easy to get along & “yaaron ka yaara” (ditto copy of brother Surjit).
Miss you dear Surinder & RIP. Heartfelt condolences to Madam Surinder, children & Surjits.
Boker Sonihal-Sat Sri Akaal.
Shankar & Shubha.
Wonderful human being!
Cuckoo
Dear Gen Surjit,
Having known you as an outstanding offr in service, was very touched by your tribute to younger brother Surinder.
Surinder, & I did the same OALE course at MCEME from Jan 1971 to Apr 1972. Of course, he topped the OALE- R2 course whereas I was diverted to C2 course after the basic LE part which we did together.
Subsequently, we met off & on in service though I didn’t have the pleasure to serve with him in the same unit.
I used to keep learning about his achievements in service. He was greatly admired by all those who came in contact with him in any capacity.
You & I met /interacted more frequently in service than Surinder. We had affectionate regards for him & his wife Mrs Satinder. I was very surprised & disappointed to learn about his not getting the next rank of Maj Gen. He took it in his stride & never expressed any regret about it
We were very saddened to learn about his passing away through you & could convey our heartfelt condolences by speaking to mrs
Sincere Compliments to you Sir for penning down ‘Memories down the ages ‘ in paying respect and bestowing honour to your brother . Warm regards
Ravi
Sir, thanks for sharing this beautiful write up coming from your heart. He was a truly gentleman and an affectionate person. I was lucky to be associated with him twice in MCEME.
I am sure he would be in peace with the almighty in the Brighter world
Ravi
Sir,
Wonderful memoires of an exceptionally noble person and a very dear friend.
Kindled memories of yesteryears since 1967 when we first met in MCEME and many moments spent together thereafter.
Incidentally my first two wheeler in the Army was a his Rajdoot which I took when he was posted out after YTO in 1968.
While Thanking you for favour of such an appreciable effort,
I pray for peace to our friend and you all
Mago
Beautiful!
Tejinder
Gen Surjit sir , a great and touching tribute from you to Brig Surinder .I have been associated with him at Yamuna Nagar , at 510 ABW, Radaur Engg College and here in Tricity activities.
We all will immensely miss such a gentleman Officer .
RIP Brig Surinder Singh
Surjit Sir
Surinder was a perfect gentleman and a good friend. Helpful to a fault. Any one could reach out to him and he was there to help.
We were LDMC batch mates, and also had opportunity to work together in the MCEME.
Your write up beautifully written describes his early life. Photos of his childhood were nice.
Surinder will be missed by all us
for a long time.
Satti Chahal
Vijay Malik
10:18 AM (50 minutes ago)
to Lalit, me, IITD
General Saheb,
Life is
Life was
A bundle of memories
Some to Cherish
And some to Enjoy.
I am sure the memories you have jotted down have helped you and the family to lessen the grief.
Surinder and lots of friends met in early 2017 to celebrate reunion of our 1961-1966 class. Surinder had penned a nice summary of the reunion and I have reread the same today again to relive the memories. This piece written by Surinder also included a piece written by you to draw a comparison of status army personnel and IITians .I enjoyed reading the same since you favoured the IITians for treating everyone as an equal. You are both, an army person as well as an IITian and can be proud of both the traditions.
We all miss Surinder and his sudden untimely demise. May the God be with all his near and dear ones at all times. God Bless.
Vijay Malik
General sahib,
I am so sorry to learn about your brother’s passing away and even more that I didn’t get to meet him. Reading your very eloquent tribute to him makes me wish that I had met him. Truly he appears to have been a man who was totally confident without any need to impress anyone and no ego to pander to. Such people are very few and far between. I wish you and his wife and children and grandchildren patience to bear the great loss.
Please be well and take care and my warmest regards to you and your family.
Had the good fortune to be posted together as Instructors in MCEME and had the pleasure of playing many rounds of Golf…
What I still remember vividly is his emphasis on having a Balance ! Balance in Life and in Everything…
A pity that he has left us rather early in life. But then…
A thorough Gentleman , unforgetable to say the least!
God surely would have granted eternal peace to his noble soul, I pray that He grants, to his loved ones ,the strength to bear this immense unfillable loss…
With Prayers and in Grief..
Great memoir sir, Gem of a personality, met BRIG SURINDER in MCEME, during the advance course ,
Venkatesh
Sir,Wonderful memoires of an exceptionally noble person and a very dear friend.
Kindled memories of yesteryears since 1967 when we first met in MCEME and many moments spent together thereafter.
Incidentally my first two wheeler in the Army was a his Rajdoot which I took when he was posted out after YTO in 1968.
While Thanking you for favour of such an appreciable effort,
I pray for peace to our friend and you all
Mago
Sir, thanks for sharing this beautiful write up coming from your heart. He was a truly gentleman and an affectionate person. I was lucky to be associated with him twice in MCEME.
I am sure he would be in peace with the almighty in the Brighter world.
Ravi Khullar
Sincere Compliments to you Sir for penning down ‘Memories down the ages ‘ in paying respect and bestowing honour to your brother . Warm regards
Ravi Sanan
I came to know Surinder initially as Surjit brother Surjeet all by himself had an illustrius Career in EME but whenever he talked of Surinder being better than him – it was time to sit back and take note of this brilliant EME officer.
Surinder accomplishment were so many that I need not dwell – every EME officer of our vintage and even those who joined the Corps two decades later would know.
When I came to EME Directorate, it was my previlage to have him as my Director Electronics. As a Maj Gen and as his boss I always regarded him as better than me in all professional aspects. I learnt a lot from him. Soon it was time for him to move to Nagrota as Brig. Our loss was a gain for his Corps Commander. One of biggest shock to me was him not being elevated as Maj Gen. It was an immeasurable loss for the Corps – ever since I have lost faith in Objectivity of our system where consideration other than professional competence are frequently rewarded – how SAD!
In conclusion I would like to say this ‘ TO THE WORLD HE WAS JUST A PART, FOR HIS NEAR AND DEAR ONES HE WAS ALL THE WORLD’ – like of which come to grace this world -only once in a while! I also wonder why do they leave so early!
30 Mar 21
Dear Gen Surjit Singh, Sir,
Thank you you very much for the nostalgic and emotional eulogy on Brigadier Surinder Singh. I thank you, particularly, as Brig Surinder was our instructor and a major driving force in my formative years in the Army.
I had first met Brigadier Surinder Singh when he was instructor at the Faculty of Electronics at MCEME, Secunderabad. Apart from his in-depth knowledge of theoretical aspects, what is most remembered is his application of this knowledge to the various equipment he taught us. He was, undoubtedly, the last word in the maintenance and repairs of of the Missiles and long-range Air Defence radars of the Soviet era.
His outstanding teaching ability, and the very visible respect that showed on the faces of his students, did not appear to affect him as a human. No airs; whatsoever! I distinctly recall the informality with which which Mrs Surinder and he would meet us in the various Officers Mess functions. This relationship between him and his students continued even after his retirement, making him a “must meet personality” during various Corps events.
I did not know then that we shared the same alma mater, Saint Joseph‘s Academy, Dehradun, for however short a period. Probably I didn’t need to. Me being his former student on two important foundational courses was adequate for him to take me under his wings. The fact that later I was posted as DDEME at the same Headquarters where he had been a few years earlier, definitely helped. Meeting him, in service and after, was always very motivational. A true Instructor and Directing Staff he always was!
I initially knew him only as my former Instructor, or Guru. One day, when I saw my Father and you talking, I had told him of my regards for Brig Surinder. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that Dad knew the family very well! He apprised me of the great achievements of the family and the most revered cloak of modesty that all of you had always adorned. That day, with ‘enforcement’ coming from Dad, my reverence for You and Brigadier Surinder Singh increased many fold!
I owe a lot to Brigadier Surinder Singh; be it in the field of radars, rendering effective EME support to the field army or solving routine problems that appear in a Junior Officer’s life. I have often conveyed my thanks and respects to him too.
I am deeply saddened to see Brig Surinder go. May the Almighty always be with him and all his dear ones. I wish him Happy Landings wherever he be.
To Sir with Love.
In reverence and thanks
Harkirat
(Maj Gen Harkirat Singh, Retd)
—-
Brig Surinder and I were School mates from St Joseph’s Academy,Dehra Dun.I have sweet memories of our younger days.He was a lovable ,very dependable person.He had that bright spark in him which he abundantly proved in his later years of service,an illustrious school mate brother of an illustrious Course mate Gen Surjit Singh sons of a greatly reverred Father Maj Balwant Singh.A very nice write-up.May Waheguru hi give courage to the family to bear this irreparable loss.
It’s a loss I feel in not having had the privilege of knowing such a fine human being. There would have been so much to gain from that association. Ofcourse he was part a fine family of briiant achievers yet modesty their nature This touching write up by his elder brother so vividly describes the persona of late Brig Surinder Singh.
May God bless the departed soul.
For sure his family will continue to follow the fine lines etched by Brig Surinder Singh.
Manish Chawla
Mar 29, 2021, 11:06 PM (15 hours ago)
to anutewari60, me
Dear Surjit Uncle,
Just got the mail of the sad demise of Uncle Surinder from Anu didi, since the mail u sent me would have bounced on my old email id, as I have a new email id: manishrajchawla@yahoo.com & have terminated the old one, without realising that I have not shared my new email id with u.
Nevertheless, I am indeed saddened to learn about the demise of Uncle Surinder & so was Papa, who would call u tomorrow morning first thing & pay this heartfelt condolences to you & the family.
Uncle Surinder, though I did not have the fortune to have personally met him, but from our whats app messages could figure out that he was a very afrectionate & polite person & from your tribute to him on the website it reinforces the fact.
Being the youngest was very witty too, from the stories you have gone back in time to mention on the website & really liked the one story of him, when he was told to get the ink bottle from the room, while he happily was cozy in bed during winters & when his brother threatened to get up & slap him if he did’nt get the ink bottle, he retorted “If you can get up & slap me, u can might as well get the ink bottle yourself”:-)
We can now only have his memories & stories of him & will have to live with it!!!!!
I guess God needs good people like him more than us & hence takes them away:-(
However, I pray to Wahe Guru Ji to give you & his family & our entire Chawla family the strength to bear this irrepairable loss!!!!!!
Take Care & Rab Rakha!!!!!!!
Best Regards Always!!!!!
Manish.
anutewari60
Mon, Mar 29, 8:54 PM (17 hours ago)
to me
Dearest Uncle Surjit,
I am so saddened to learn about the demise of our dear Uncle Surinder..
This has come as a huge shock to us…
Please accept our heartfelt condolences..
May Wahe Guru give you courage and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss .
May Divine Peace attend the departed soul.
Words are poor comforters and I don’t know how to ease your pain,sadness and grief.
But all I can say is that his special and precious memories you will hold close to your heart and they will remain with you, always.
Please take care Uncleji..
Stay Strong..
We are with you in this hour of grief
Deepak-Anita(Anu)
Samay Ram
Mar 29, 2021, 6:13 PM (20 hours ago)
to me
Thanks.I can feel your trauma on having lost Brig Surinder who was so close to you
May GOD give you the strength to bear his loss.Time is a great healer. Regards
onlyravi04
Mar 29, 2021, 6:14 PM (20 hours ago)
to me
Great tribute from a brother to a brother. The poignancy is that the writer is the elder. I commiserate with you and the entire family in this period of grief at his abrupt passing.
Sir your pictures of 24 The Mall rekindled old memories. I too lived for 5 years from 1967 to 1973 in 14 Mandir Marg ( then Wigram Road) as my dad,late Major AB Nair, was posted with 505 ABWksp as MCO. He was a SL officer ( SL449) and he was posted as the first OIC Cadet’s Wkshp, NDA on its formation in 1955. My dad served in 603 Combined Base Wksp, Colaba, commanded Stn Wksp Vizag, dismantled and took it to Dimapur and re-raised it there. From there he came to 505 and retired in May 1973. I was commissioned the next year from OTS Madras and retired in 2004. My son was commissioned in 16 Madras the same year.
We, fauji brats had a lot in common.
Col Ravi Nair ( retd)
1008 Sec 29, Noida.
Krishan K Punchhi
Mar 29, 2021, 7:10 PM (19 hours ago)
to me
Dear Surjit,
You have my sympathies. May his soul rest in peace.
It is HE who decides when and how we all have to go up.
We all will go up when our number is up.
Regards and best wishes. ………. KKP.
SBS Kochar
9:08 AM (5 hours ago)
to me
Sir.
A very rare collection. Nostalgic indeed. What days, staying on The Mall both in delhi and Meerut. God bless his soul. regards.
SBSK
Dear Sir,
Read the piece on Brig Surinder Singh. So well written ! Writing a few lines, here , as a reply to your mail.
I Would be writing on the Amolak website separately.
He was a dedicated professional and nothing seemed to be too difficult for him to comprehend or grasp quickly. He had a clear sense of direction and achieved organisational objectives, always – seemingly effortlessly.
His notes were treasured by all of us. Especially on Vacuum Tubes, very helpful during Radar Courses.
Worked with him closely during my days in HQ TG as TSO 2. I did a study report on missile maintenance in Amn Depots ( MIRI – Missile Inspection and Repair Increment in Amn Depots), on his direction. Subsequent to the report we had series of discussions in his office in EME(L) with DGQA & Ordnance officers – so methodical yet so convivial – Col ( then, as the Director – L) Surinder was in the Chair – otherwise sparks could have flown in such EME – Ord meeting.
Once he called a conference on fd army missile testing facilities with officers from MO, DGQA, Ord , Inf, Mech Inf atc – within a week, just based on a request from me- I was only a Major then. It helped us later to prepare a policy letter on missile test equipment distribution. There were many other such interactions.
I last met him during 2009 July, in his house, when my son passed out of AIL Mohali.
He was my son’s local guardian.
Warm regards
Prabal Sen
It’s so touching to see how a brother remembers his brother.
My respects to General Surjit Singh.
Surrinder was a quiet gentleman with a good sense of humour. Very self effacing – in fact the photograph with his daughter and son-in-law, the expression in his eyes is as if to say – Main vee aithey han (I am also here)……… So even if he is no more in this world, memories of him will stay on. May his soul rest in peace.
Suinder was my batch ate in IITD. Our communication started in2011.
The 1st batch had a gathering in Dec. 2011. We all came to know of whereabouts of batch mates. I start calling him from the USA on phone. He Introduced me to his eldest brother Manjit Singh . This was The biggest gift for me . I learned wonderful things of Sprituality from Majit Singh . I would make so many phone call to him to learn more spiritual things without giving him to eat dinner. Death of Manjit Singh was death of my elder brother. Surjit became closer to my heart. Contributions of Surjit Singh will me mently& Spritualy happy.
Brig Surinder was a GREAT OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN.
I salute his indomitable spirit.
In grief
Rajesh Kochhar
He was my classmate at IITD but I was pursuing Mechanical Engineering. I simply say
We have lost a great gentleman friend
Very fondly remember dear Surinder. As captain took over command of 2 SATA workshop, which he commanded. When dear Surinder decided to leave the Engineering College near Yamuna Nagar, he on phone apprised me in great detail, Even though later I decided not to take the offer since I was well settled at Delhi
Dear Surjit,
Over the years I have come to know your family well. I will be able to recognize all of them . You have kept a good photographic record of the Family.
Your eulogy for your brother is written from the heart. The family must be very proud of his achievements.
Our Guards Regimental mess is 25 The Mall at Delhi Cantonment.
I will have a look at 24 The Mall next time I visit the mess. We haven’t had any function for 13 months.
My condolences to the family. I hope you all come together to over come the grief.
Dave Sood
Dear Surjit,
Over the years I have come to know your family well. I will be able to recognize all of them . You have kept a good photographic record of the Family.
Your eulogy for your brother is written from the heart. The family must be very proud of his achievements.
Our Guards Regimental mess is 25 The Mall at Delhi Cantonment.
I will have a look at 24 The Mall next time I visit the mess. We haven’t had any function for 13 months.
My condolences to the family. I hope you all come together to over come the grief.
Dave Sood
I have been meeting Surinder off and on during Service, though never had the privilege of being in the same unit with him. Always happy to interact with him and Satinder ji, God fearing, simple, humble and lovable family.
I am sure that pure soul that he was he is already one with his maker, but here on earth he has left a void which will be difficult to fill.
Om Shanti
Hi Surjit, it’s always good to hear about the lives of good people. Your family is blessed to have many good people. Though Surindar is gone, he will always be remembered.
Excellent writing, conveys your love for Surindar. I enjoyed reading it.
I met Surinder initially as Gen Surjit ‘ s younger brother but later on interacted with him during service at Delhi or Secunderabad . He was a very lovable person , soft-spoken but with a commanding presence difficult to ignore . An officer and above all a thorough gentleman , he endeared himself well with all .His untimely demise was a shock to me .
The obituary by Gen Surjit tells us not only about Surinder but the whole family , the upbringing , cultural mooring and traditions of the Military to which we all proudly belong.
Surinder is now a memory and we cherish our association with him. Om Shanti!
Dear Surjit Veerji,
Just received your mail and grieved to hear of Surinder Veerji’s passing.
Your obituary is full of love and shows the great relationship you both enjoyed and nurtured.
Surinder Veerji was a thorough gentleman —courteous and pleasant always. May the divine soul rest in eternal peace. Pray that God gives courage to the family to bear this irreparable loss.
Warm regards,
Prithpal & Neena
Prakarsh & Isha
Never met you Surendar, but the way your brother Surjit has written your obituary .. with so much love and affection .. looks you have been a wonderful person in the family, much loved and now missed. May you rest in peace and pray Waheguru give your family and all near and dear ones, courage to bear your absence. In my next visit to the Gurudwara, will request for a special Ardas to be recited for your soul to rest in peace.
“A happy family is an earlier heaven. …”