Honouring his will, family donates Avtar Gill’s body for research to Ludhiana’s ESI Hospital

The family and associates of Avtar Gill (79), founder of the Tarksheel Movement in Canada, Monday donated his mortal remains to the ESI Hospital Ludhiana for medical research, fulfilling his long-standing wish of cadaver donation.

Avtar was also a prominent supporter of the Inqlaabi Zamhoori Lehar (revolutionary democratic movement).

In keeping with his will, the […]
The family and associates of Avtar Gill (79), founder of the Tarksheel Movement in Canada, Monday donated his mortal remains to the ESI Hospital Ludhiana for medical research, fulfilling his long-standing wish of cadaver donation.

Avtar was also a prominent supporter of the Inqlaabi Zamhoori Lehar (revolutionary democratic movement).

In keeping with his will, the family said, the body was taken to the hospital without performing any religious or ritualistic ceremonies.

According to Avtar’s close associate Kanwaljeet Khanna from Inqlaabi Kendra, Avtar’s last prayer meeting will be celebrated by organising ‘Jag Jeondan da mela’.

The prayer observance is something that Avtar himself was planning and making arrangements before he fell sick, he said.

Khanna said, “Every year he used to come to India, this time he came on February 22.

He was on dialysis for a long time… he used to get dialysis done in India too.

However this time he got unwell and breathed his last on Saturday.

It was his will to donate his body for research purposes rather than cremating it.”
Avtar was from Kothe Jeeve village in the Jagraon constituency of Ludhiana district.

He had shifted to Canada in 1992 with his wife and five children, and had settled in Surrey (British Columbia).

He is survived by his wife Surinder Kaur (78), daughters Jasmel Kour (57) and Jaspreet Kour (54), and sons Pardeep Singh Gill (53), Mandeep Singh Gill (51) and Jagdeep Singh Gill (48).

All his children are settled in Surrey.

Before moving abroad, Avtar had worked as a lineman with the Punjab State Electricity Board ( PSEB ) and also served as president of the Technical Services Union during his tenure.

In Canada, he worked various jobs before eventually running a transport business.

His family said Avtar, along with his wife, was visiting Ludhiana to meet friends and associates.

Khanna said, “He was going to organise a ‘jag jeondan da mela’ on March 22… now his last prayer meeting will be observed by organising the mela… He had mentioned that his life should be celebrated and even his death… so an hour of the play ‘do rotian’ (on life of immigrants overseas) will be played… other cultural programmes too will be held as… documentary on his life will be shown.”
Khanna said, “Besides being an effective speaker, he was also a committed theatre artist and film actor.”
All of Avtar’s children travelled from Canada to Ludhiana.

The body was carried in an ambulance decorated with flowers and his photographs, and was sent off amid the revolutionary slogans.

Earlier, at his residence, several public organisations paid floral tributes and laid out their flags over his body.

Among those who offered flags were representatives of Inquilabi Kendra Punjab, Tarksheel Society Punjab, Democratic Rights Sabha and Kirti Kisan Union.

Many leaders including Baldev Rehpa of Tarksheel Society Canada, Rajinder Bhadaur from Punjab, President of PLS Manch Amolak Singh, General secretary of Inquilabi Kendra Punjab Kanwaljit Khanna, Jaswant Jeerkh, Bikkar Singh Basi and Kuldeep Sarabha, along with family members Nishandeep, Gurshan and Amandeep Kaur, remembered Avtar and offered floral tributes.

Speakers said Avtar was like an institution in himself who carried the flag of the rationalist movement in a capitalist and individualistic country like Canada.

Through his powerful arguments, he exposed superstition, blind beliefs and hypocrisy, they said.

They also said during the farmers’ movement in 2020-21, he remained at the forefront in Canada, led the Indian diaspora and helped raise large funds.

He also actively raised his voice against the alleged genocide of Palestinian people and in support of the rights of international students, the speakers said.

At ESI Hospital, Dr Inder Pawar, Head of the Anatomy Department, welcomed the large number of people who accompanied the funeral procession.

He thanked Avtar Gill’s family for donating his body for medical research, adding that the gesture had written another chapter in the service of humanity.

Doctors at the hospital said cadaver donation is vital in medical education and research — it helps with the study of human anatomy and develop better treatment methods.

Among the prominent personalities present on the occasion were Prof Jagmohan Singh, Nirbhai Singh Duddike, farmer leader Jagtar Singh Dehrka, Inderjit Singh Dhaliwal, Surjit Daudhar, noted theatre personality Surinder Sharma, Boota Singh Mehmudpur, Swaran Singh Sangrur, Santokh Singh Dhessi, Navtej from Calgary, Nirmal Singh Sondhi from the UK, Makhan Singh Dhillon from Leicester, Narinder Manguwal from Vancouver, Gursharan Singh from Surrey, Harkesh Chaudhary, Gurjit Rayesar from Abbotsford, Jagmohan Singh Dhuddike, Dharam Singh Sujapur, Sukhwinder Leelh, Shamsher Nurpuri, Satish Sachdeva, Paritpal Singh Bhammipura and Kasturi Lal.

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